A Wonderful Partnership Pt 3
by WayofLife4587
Summary: This is Book 3 of this series The Wonderful Partnership. This is season 3 of Bones in the other books I said these books are surrounded by there's marriage from the very beginning. If you haven't read the other 2 book you need too before you read this one. B&B have been married for 5 years now.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Happy 2017 Everyone I'm back and the story is back**

 **Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to the show bones nor will I ever :(**

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 **Chapter 1 – Widow's Son in the Windshield**

Brennan looked around at the scene and asked, "Why am I here?"

Booth sighed. He had gotten used to working with his wife. And ever since Zach left (when he arrested her father) she hasn't been working with him. Not even a phone call that related to them meeting up or something. Actually they hadn't had a date night since that one amazing night after the non-wedding. Sure they still did things at home, but it seemed almost forced – like she didn't want to do it. As if she was perpetually angry at him. And he didn't what that was about. "Ya know, you used to like come out to the field."

They started to talk over each other. Brennan said, "No car fires, no tanker barrels…"

"You used to insist to me…"

"… full of acid. No explosions…"

"…you were insistent…"

Brennan huffed, "… Don't tell me you brought me out here for a car accident…"

Booth really just wanted to fix this stalemate they were in, "…Now you're just anxious to get back, ya know, I can barely get you out of your lab coat."

Brennan told him, "Well, with Zach gone, I'm needed at the Jeffersonian."

Booth smiled and nudged her, "Well that, that kid seemed pretty good, with the sublixicated sternacallum thing…" Booth then looked at her disappointedly. "You used to correct me."

Brennan didn't want to talk about this. "Why am I here, Booth?" Booth pointed at the skull in the windshield. Brennan's eyes widened in shock, "Ohhh…"

Booth let her look at the skull for a few more minutes before he asked, "So, um, it's been three months since Zach shipped off to Iraq?"

Brennan nodded absentmindedly, "Uh-huh."

Booth tried to make her tell him the real reason why she wasn't going out in the field with him. "How hard can it be to replace him?"

Brennan ignored him, "Male. Caucasian."

Booth still went on though, "Yah, I'm just saying. I mean, you at the lab; me at the field – we are not working at our full symbiotic potential."

Brennan again ignored him, "Late teens or early twenties. Completely devoid of flesh or odor."

Booth wasn't going to give up, "It just seems like, maybe you don't want to work with me anymore?"

Brennan looked at him and said honestly, "I work with you."

Booth knew they still worked together. At home, through her lab, but not in the field. "You know what I mean, Bones."

Brennan looked around at the scene and asked, "How did this skull get here?"

Booth rubbed his hands together, happy to finally get her active in this case. "Ask our eyewitness. Come on!" This was good, it was a start.

~BONES~

Booth and Cam were eating dinner at the diner, as friends. Booth told her, "I mean, how hard can it be to replace one weirdo squint?"

Cam shook her head with an amused smile, "I'd hire Clark, but it's not my call."

Booth was tired of hearing that answer. Enough was enough. It needed to stop, "No, no, but it is. You've given Bones enough time. Just hire the guy."

Cam eyed Booth for a while at how he was acting. "Usually when you get all blustery, its 'cause you think something's your fault."

Booth sighed. Cam didn't know all the details, but he still needed to talk to someone about this. "Yeah, well. You know… I did arrest her father for murder. She could be having trouble with that."

Cam snorted, "Yeah. Exposing a parent to the death penalty can have a chilling effect on a partnership."

Booth knew that. He hadn't wanted to do it, but it was his job. He liked Max, but that didn't take away the fact that he killed a man – and a big important one at that. "Well look, I asked Bones if, if, if that was a, a problem; she said no."

Cam shook her head at how Booth was talking, "Well, I gotta wonder if deep down anybody is that rational."

Booth knew that. But he also knew Bones, very well. There might be something in there that dealt with her father, but very little. What he really was worried about was the fact that he didn't know what the main reason for this sudden separation was about. "You're not reassuring me here, Camille."

Cam smiled at him, "If you are looking for reassurance, find someone who's not such a good friend, Seeley."

Damn, if she wasn't right. But hardly any of his friend's knew Bones that well or even knew about his marriage. This was really starting to get frustrating.

~BONES~

Booth walked into the lab looking for Bones, he was excited. He saw Cam right away, "Where's Bones?"

Cam looked at Booth with an amused smile, "You arrested the Deputy Director of the Secret Service for voyeurism?"

Booth really didn't care about that. "Yeah. Bones in her office?"

Cam's smile grew as she thought about it more, "That is awesome and really, really stupid. You got to love a self-destructive man with values."

Booth really just wanted find Bones. "Where's Bones?"

Brennan called out. "Right behind you."

Booth turned around with a smile on his face, "Oh great, look, listen I got Charlie to check out all those places with the red rock."

Brennan corrected, "Pink syenite."

Booth waved that off, even though internally he was jumping up and down at her correction, "There's only one place that uses the pink rock in its foundations. It's an old deserted bank on the Anacostia River."

Cam's eyes widened, "Bingo, baby."

Brennan looked at them confused, "Why 'bingo, baby'?"

Booth told her as if explanation, "I checked into the ownership of the place."

Brennan still didn't get it. "Why, 'bingo, baby'?"

Cam tried to explain, "Shell companies owning defective titles, blah, blah."

Brennan shook her head, "I don't get the significance."

Booth was probably a little too excited over this find. But he was going to start working with Bones again, he just knew it! "It's deserted, isolated. It's a fortress."

Cam interjected, "Serial-killer heaven."

Booth stepped closer to Brennan and tried to put on his best charming face, "Look, I want you to come with me."

Brennan paused for a second, seeing that Booth really did want her to come with her. If she was being honest with herself she did too, but… "I've got work to do here."

Cam looked at Booth's face and knew that she needed to do something. She was his friend and she could see that Booth wanted Brennan with him. "Uh, Dr. Brennan, if this building has been used for some sort of ritual cannibalistic killing as indicated by a skull which has been gnawed upon, a trained anthropologist's eye could be crucial to the case." She then added to seal the deal. "Rationally speaking."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were sitting on the bank stairs waiting for the tech team to open up the vault. He had been trying for the past months to get Brennan to talk about her father's arrest and how he was only doing his job. But each time he tried to broach the subject she gave some excuse to either hang up or leave, or – his personal favorite – she kissed him. But he knew that at that moment she couldn't go anywhere. "When I put your old man in jail, you said you understood."

Brennan huffed slightly. She knew that she had been 'distant' from her husband the past few weeks. But she just didn't understand something and it was taking her a lot longer to figure it out. "Don't start again, Booth. We'll be together as soon as I replace Zach."

Booth smiled at that acknowledgement and leaned forward toward her, "Yeah, how's that going by the way?"

However Brennan was saved from answering that as one of the tech's yelled, "We're in!"

Booth jumped up and said excitedly – perhaps a little too excitedly, but hell Bones was working with him again. "They cracked it!" After some difficulty with opening the door Booth and Bones entered it, with Booth leading with his gun and Brennan right behind him with her – very boring – flashlight. Booth whispered after a few seconds, "Maybe you're mad at me sub-consciously."

Brennan looked at him as if he were crazy…which he must be to suggest such a thing considering he knew that she hated psychology. It was a soft science. "What? I don't believe in that."

Booth sighed. He knew that, but he was sensing that all the hard work they had put in the last few months after the whole Sully debacle was all for naught. He told her honestly, "Look, something's changed between us. You can at least admit that so we could figure it out."

Brennan looked around the vault as she told him the truth. "Yeah, I would. Yes, if I actually believed anything had changed. "

However the argument left Booth as he heard a beeping sound after the walked into the room. He feared the worst and just reacted on instinct. Protect his loved one. "Get down!" He tackled Brennan and fell on top of her to the floor, but the expected explosion didn't happen.

Brennan smiled softly up at Booth as she looked at his scrunched up face. She whispered, "Why are your eyes closed?"

Booth opened his eyes slowly and looked down at Brennan's smiling face. He smiled slightly back and whispered, "I thought we were going to get blown up."

Brennan flashed her light up at the vault door. "It's just a transmitter."

Booth started to get up slowly, "Oh, now whoever owns this place knows we're here."

Brennan took Booth's offered hand as he helped her up and asked with amusement in her voice. "I'm curious. In an explosion, how would shutting your eyes help?" Sometimes her husband did the funniest things that were not rational at all.

~BONES~

Booth walked onto the platform in utter disbelief. "Bones, I mean, you see what's going on here, right?"

Brennan looked at Booth rather confused. "What are you talking about?"

Booth pointed an accusatory finger at her. He honestly couldn't believe it. Now she was punishing him – even though he was the one that was trying to work everything out – by even taking away the whole squint squad. Unbelievable! "You, you're getting all of them to help you now."

Angela tried to explain the find that they came upon, "Booth, the vault is filled with priceless artifacts."

Cam added, "And probably materials stolen from other victims."

Hodgins snorted slightly at Booth's claim, "It's going to take months to sift through all that evidence."

Booth couldn't take it anymore. He snapped, just a wee bit, and said imploringly, "No, this is enabling. You're enabling somebody with a mental problem."

Brennan however stopped listening to him as she saw someone walk through the doors. "Zach."

Booth shook his head in aggravation, "No you! You! Bones! You're the one with the mental problem."

However Brennan pointed behind Booth, and the rest of the squints looked to see none other than Dr. Zach Addy. Angela couldn't believe it. "It's Zach! It's Zach." She then ran and hugged him fiercely.

Hodgins smiled gleefully at his ol' pal and shouted, "Whoa-hoho!"

Angela pulled back far enough to ask, still smiling widely, "What are you doing here?"

Zach however ignored that question and asked Hodgins, "Can I, can I move back in the place above your garage?"

Hodgins walked over to his best friend and said before hugging him, "Are you kidding? Of course! Come here."

Brennan had already rushed down, like a mother hen, and hugged Zach fiercely, "Welcome home, Zach!"

Booth however knew what it meant to be back early from assignment. Only a few options were left. "Did you get wounded or something?"

Zach looked at Booth and shook his head, "No, they just sent me home." Booth could tell that something had changed in the boy. He wasn't a boy any more. It unsettled him a little.

~BONES~

Booth still wasn't seeing it. "So our, uh, cannibal has a diamond tooth?"

Brennan explained, "Well, not the entire tooth: a diamond inset, left lateral incisor. It left a distinctive mark on the skull."

Booth smiled at the progress that they were making now on the case. It was great! "So if someone in the Building Conservancy or the cleaning crew has a diamond in his tooth – that's our guy! You got him!"

Brennan looked at Booth from under her lashes and said gently, "I'd like to be in on it when you interrogate him." She saw Booth's astounded and pleased look on his face and asked, "What?"

Booth sat up a little straighter, his eyes gleaming with happiness. "You would?"

Brennan tilted her head to the side, "Why are surprised?"

Booth honestly couldn't believe it but he wasn't going to let that stop him from moving into action. He started to grab his coat and say with joy, "Wait, are you serious? I, I've been trying to get you out of the lab since Zach left."

Brennan told him honestly, "Well Zach's back, so here I am."

Booth stood up and walked over to her and gently placed his hands on her hips, "That simple?"

Brennan looked up at him and asked him with a husky undertone, "Why? Did Angela say something to you?"

Booth shook his head, "No. Angela? Why? What?"

Brennan smoothed her hands down his chest, taking out all those invisible wrinkles, and then adjusted his tie, "I told you, that this wasn't about psychology. "

Booth squeezed her hip and then started to guide her out of his office, "Fine, fine, hah. Hey, you know what I say, huh? Welcome home Zach!"

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan rushed into the Jeffersonian, having thrown on their clothes haphazardly. Booth hoped Zach had something big, because Zach had interrupted something that he'd rather wished hadn't been. God, it hurt.

Brennan however was more worried about her assistant, "Zach? Zach!"

Booth rushed after her and asked, "Well, what did he say?"

Brennan ran to the stairs, taking out her card, "He said he needed to show us something immediately."

Booth followed her while asking in a strained voice, "Show us what?"

Brennan looked back at Booth, her own frustration leaking out. "I don't know. He didn't say; that's why we're here."

They both saw Zach lying atop an examining table. Booth felt a wave of pure panic rush over him. He pushed past Brennan and rushed over to Zach"Look out! Zach! Zach. Zach?"

Zach looked up at Booth confused, "Why are you listening to my chest?"

Booth was going to kill him.

~BONES~

Booth was really beyond frustration. He hated it went cops thought to pull this crap just because he was FBI. "Great, thanks!"

Brennan nudged him, "Show them the badge again."

Booth shook his head and slumped back in the chair, "Uh, they don't see why we have to see Jason in the middle of the night. Shift changes in two hours. Hell, they could make us wait till morning." After Brennan sat down next to him, he looked at her and said, "You know, you weren't upset because Zach was gone."

Brennan looked at him shocked. He finally guessed what had been bothering her. "Yes, I was!"

Booth sighed. He was tired and cranky and really worked up. "Okay, yeah, but you were more upset over the fact that I didn't stop him from going in the first place. I mean, look I could've said to him, 'Zach, Iraq is no place for a guy like you'."

Brennan knew he was right. This was what had been bothering her the most. She didn't want to blame Booth, but she had. Why? "And he'd never have left. You could have stopped him. Why didn't you do that?"

Booth tried to put into words what he knew Zach had going through his head. "Whatever Zach's deal is- okay his weirdness - whatever you want to call it…"

Brennan told him tersely, "I call it genius."

Booth gave her a pointed look and went on, "He's a… man. He's a, uhm, he's a strange man, but he's a man who wanted to serve a larger purpose."

Brennan scoffed at that idea, "This is some alpha male rite of passage?"

Booth told her flatly. "No." He would never have had let Zach go if it was for that reason.

Brennan tried to understand it. "You mean, go to war?"

Booth shook his head, "Wrong. No. Zach needed to leave the nest. The same way you did when you wanted to leave the lab and see the world for the first time. And I helped you do that. How could I stop Zach from doing the exact same thing in his own way?"

Thankfully Brennan didn't have to answer that as the night guard came over to them. But was Booth right?

~BONES~

Bones and Booth walked near the Reflecting Pool around sunrise as she talked animatedly, "The ancient Greek section translated the motto at the back of the vault door, 'will no one help the Widow's Son.'" They both sat on a bench. "Hodgins was right. This killer's part of something bigger."

Booth offered, "Here's your coffee."

But she went on, "Gavin Nichols' violin was in there. I bet there are belongings from other murder victims too. We have to catalogue every item in that vault."

Booth tried again. They had been up way too long for their own good, but he knew she wouldn't just go back home to rest. "Hot coffee."

Brennan couldn't stop her excitement though, "After we do the visual and microscopic examination of each human bone in the silver skeleton, we'll take samples and do an in-depth auxiological breakdown. We really have a lot to do."

Booth forced the coffee into her hands, "Yeah, starting with coffee." Man, the woman could be so stubborn.

Brennan started to lift the cup to her lips as she went on, "An isotope profile will allow us to narrow down possible geographical hits…"

Booth saw what was coming and abruptly covered her coffee cup with his hand just below her lips in essence she was kissing his hand. "Hey, it's hot!" She brought the cup down. "You were gonna burn yourself, Bones."

Brennan looked at him as her eyes turned a hint of deeper azure, "Thank you."

Booth took his hand away from the cup, his body already reacting to even the slightest touch of her. His own eyes dilated and turned to a deep brown. He tried to stay focused though, "Listen, this whole serial killer, it's not gonna be our usual case."

Brennan looked at him confused, "Why?"

He tried to explain it to her, "Why? Because it's big and he's bad."

Brennan shook her head. That didn't make any sense. "I don't see what difference that makes!"

Booth told her honestly, "'Cause you have to slow down, right. Take a breath. You have to realize that this is not a sprint, it's gonna be a marathon. Marathon, Bones, coming from the Greek meaning 'really really really long run'."

Brennan laughed softly at his attempt at humor. "It's not how the word 'marathon' originated."

Booth smiled at her for a few seconds before his gaze turned serious. "Look, there's something else I gotta know, and it's important. We solid?"

Brennan was shocked to even hear him ask that. "You and me? Yeah!"

Booth elaborated, "No, not just you and me. Squints, too. Zach is back for good. Angela and Hodgins have their head back in the game. Cam, she's locked in."

Brennan still didn't get it. "Why are you asking me this?"

Booth smiled softly at her as he leaned in, "Because. You and me, we're the center."

Brennan smiled back at him finally getting the meaning, "And the center must hold."

Booth leaned even closer, "Right. So, are we gonna hold?"

Brennan nodded, "Yeah. We'll hold. We're the center."

Booth whispered, "The center." He was about to kiss her when she held out her hand. He cautiously looked at it and then took it into his hand and shook it. He chuckled softly at the image.

Brennan looked at him through narrowed eyes, "What's funny?"

Booth leaned back and told her, "Ha, I thought you were going to kiss my hand again."

Brennan tilted her chin in deviance, "I did not kiss your hand. You put it over my coffee cup."

Booth shrugged, "Huh, felt like you kissed it."

Brennan shook her head, "No."

He lifted one eyebrow at her denial. "No?"

Brennan shook her head again, "Nope." She then deftly moved onto his lap, taking his coffee away from him as she whispered huskily against his lips, "This is a kiss." With that she closed the distance between them.

They passions flared from the interrupted moment caused by Zach. God, if they weren't in a public area, Booth would already be inside of her. He conceded with dry humping though as he curled his fingers into her hair. They would most definitely hold, if her sounds of muffled pleasure were any indication.

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 **A/N: I hope you all seen Bones last night it was a great episode if you didn't see the new episode last night I won't spoil it**

 **P.S. I will be posting every Wednesday instead of everyday**

 **Review Please**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- Can anyone say they own this?**

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 **Chapter 2 – Soccer Mom in the Mini Van**

Booth and Brennan got out of the car and approached the minivan after having a 'heated' discussion in the car on the drive to the crime scene. Which continued with Booth saying, "Look, Bones, all I'm saying is that Caroline went through a lot of trouble to get you private visitation with your father, now you don't want it."

Brennan was, what was the word, thankful (?) for what their friend did for her – she was like the mother she didn't have (well mother-in-law really), but she just didn't feel comfortable with this gift. "The federal detention facility already has visiting areas."

Booth had Caroline for this favor and had nearly gotten eaten alive by the woman. He knew she loved them – if keeping their marriage classified wasn't enough proof – but she could still scold him like he was a five-year-old boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. He need to get Bones to see that this was a good thing. "Yeah, behind 2 inch glass. Now you'll be able to give your old man a hug." To demonstrate he threw his arm around her shoulder and hugged her.

Brennan sighed a little, feeling her resolve fall just a bit. "I didn't ask for special treatment, Booth."

Booth smiled down at her and told Bones, "That's because you don't have to because you are special." He squeezed her shoulder for good measure and then turned to look at the reason they were there. "And you are gonna tell me – whoa – what happened to whatever the hell is melted to that steering wheel and everything else."

Brennan walked to the charred body and examined the victim closely. "Female. Mid 40's to late 50's. Pelvis indicates she's given birth."

Booth to had been doing a cursory check of the body when something caught his eyes. He pointed to a ring on her left ring finger. "Hey, Bones. Look at that. Married, right?"

Brennan lifted the hand gently and said aloud, "Wedding ring. Possibility." She turned to another FBI Agent and told him, "Don't just focus on the ground." She pointed to a leg in a nearby tree that she noticed earlier, she then turned to Booth. "Why do you care about my relationship with my father, Booth? You were only too happy to arrest him and put him in prison."

Booth wanted to strangle this woman. She knew that he wasn't 'happy' to arrest the man. But he was the law and he had to uphold it even when it meant arresting family. "Alright, look Bones. Ya know what, it's not about being happy, okay. It's about doing my job."

Brennan huffed softly. She knew that, but she was felt like she was being backed into a corner without any means of protection from her attacker. So she hit where she knew Booth was weak. It was childish of her and petty, but it was her first instinct. To avoid an argument that would most likely occur she asked the man standing behind Booth. "Do we know if it was a bomb that caused the explosion?"

Booth hadn't realized that someone was standing behind him and answered, just a tad bit sarcastically, "Well, let's see. The roof is peeled back and the doors…"

Brennan looked up at him knowing that he too was growing frustrated with their conversation. She pointed behind him to the other Agent. "I was asking him."

The Agent told them, "We found explosive residue all over the van and metal fragments in the bushes."

Booth scribbled some notes on his cards and asked, "What is that? A Pipe bomb?"

The Agent shrugged his shoulders, "I can't really be sure until the explosives unit gets the van back to the lab."

Brennan's head snapped back up at that. She unleashed her frustration unknowingly on the poor unexpected man. "No, they can't have the van. There are remains seared all over the inside of the vehicle and they can't be compromised."

The poor man stumbled over his words for a response. "I have to call…"

Brennan faced him, her eyes flashing. "This van will be brought to the Jeffersonian - your bomb techs can look at it there."

The Agent looked at Booth for help. "I'll….make the call?"

Booth nodded his head and patted the poor man on the back. "That's – that's alright. You go, go make that call." He then turned to his wife. Man, he knew she was frustrated, but to lash out like that at one of the Agents… "Bones, come on. You're a little harsh there, maybe you want to talk it out."

Brennan promptly ignored that statement, already feeling slightly ashamed for her vehement reaction, and pointed out a piece of jewelry, "Look, Booth."

Booth watched as she flipped it open to reveal a little girl. "It's a locket. Ugh, probably her daughter."

Brennan looked at their victim very confused, "Who would want to blow up a soccer mom?"

~BONES~

Booth, Brennan and Sam were walking down a corridor in the Hoover as Sam said, "Does not make any sense. The van was rigged blow up, why shoot her?"

This was why Brennan hated working with other Agents. Booth got how she thought and he always respected that. "Well, until we see what ballistics determines, it's absurd to speculate."

Sam turned to her and said non-too-gently, "Speculating's kinda what we do here."

Booth looked heavenward as if asking for strength before he told Sam the facts, which he too was looking at at all angles. "Listen. Danny Valenti is a cop. June Harris murdered his father. He has a gun."

Sam shook his head, "He's a good kid, Booth. He didn't do it."

Booth knew that Sam was having a hard time with considering this. But with everything that Booth had seen in the past few years, we wasn't going to leave any rocks unturned. As Booth grabbed a file off his desk in his office he knew that this case was going to be hard on Sam. Brennan accidentally bumped into him as he turned around. He guided to turn around and said to her, "Out."

Brennan felt Booth's hand on her back as she told Same, "But that is meaningless speculation."

Sam looked at Booth as if she were insane. "Is she really necessary?"

Booth told him firmly. "She's my partner." Even if cops didn't like his wife's method, it damn well worked for them.

Brennan knew that Booth was trying to diffuse a situation that could turn out badly, but she couldn't help speak her mind. "Mentors often feel threatened when their students surpass them."

Booth wrapped his hand around her wrist and squeezed it softly in warning as he guided her to the interrogation room. "Bones!"

Brennan told him the truth. "Well, it's true, Booth. Change can be difficult to accept whether it comes in the form of a revolutionary or the simple passage of time."

Sam walked up to them as they stopped at the door to the interrogation room. "If she were a guy, I'd deck her."

Brennan again knew that she shouldn't say it – if Booth putting his body between her and Sam and him guiding her away were any indication – but she told Sam bluntly, "Well, you know, that distinction is no longer necessary, but I wouldn't recommend it."

Booth was ready to just toss Brennan over his shoulder like the alpha-male she knew him to be and carry her away from Sam. Instead he held the door open as he pushed Sam into the room, "Let's go Sam. Thank you." This was going to be a long case.

~BONES~

Sam was alone reading a folder, as Booth and Brennan entered into Booth's office. Booth couldn't believe his eyes, "Sam!"

Sam brought the file down and told them smugly, "Ballistics says that the bullet was NOT a match for Danny's gun."

Brennan too couldn't believe it. She didn't like anyone stepping over Booth and her fierce protective nature flared. "Booth should have that report first. He's the lead."

Sam turned to Booth and told him, "You know, Booth. She must be really good in bed because I can't see any other reason you keep her around here." Booth had never felt like this before. He actually wanted to punch one of his mentors. No one spoke about Bones like that.

Brennan's instincts to hide their relationship spiked to an all-time high. She put on her most calm mask and told him, "I am. Very good." Looked at Booth directly as she said, "But Booth has no direct knowledge of that fact."

Booth took in a deep silent breath trying to get his temperament under control. This whole case was putting him on edge. "Okay, okay. Let's all stay focused here, people. Okay. Sam, you know what, you should never…" Booth tried to put Sam in his place.

Sam however cut him off, "But it was a match for the gun that killed Danny's father 30 years ago."

Booth started to read the ballistic reports as he said, "Right. The same gun that was registered to Harris's old boyfriend, Watkins, but it was never found."

Sam told Booth almost desperately, "Everyone we interviewed at the time said Harris would never make a move without talking to Watkins first. I told you, we need to find him."

Booth nodded, but he was the lead in the case and he needed to respect due to him. "Yeah, okay. We will, Sam. You just gotta give me some room."

Sam grabbed Booth's arm as he tried to leave the room. "Hey, Booth. Don't cut me out. I've worked my whole career for this."

Booth knew that this case meant everything to the man, but that still didn't change anything. "As soon as I find something out, I'll let you know, Sam." Sam looked like he was about to say something but Booth gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. He nodded his head ever so slightly. Booth turned around and placed his hand on Brennan's lower back – a small show of his support for her to Sam and said softly, "Come on, Bones."

~BONES~

Booth was looking out over the balcony as Brennan approached him, carrying a cup of coffee. He was anxious to get the results. "What's taking Hodgins so long?"

Brennan shook her head in slight amusement. Booth hated waiting. "It's an exacting process." She then handed him the cup of coffee, knowing that it would help. Slightly.

Booth smiled as he took it, "Ah, thank you. So um, how did your dad like his socks?"

Brennan really didn't want to talk about that. "Fine."

Booth could have rolled his eyes at her deliberate obtuseness. "That's sorta a way to start a conversation there, Bones."

Brennan sighed, 'I know."

Booth gave up. If she wanted to hate her dad, then she would. He wasn't going to put her in anymore uncomfortable positions. "Ya know, look. I'm - I should never have gotten in the middle of all this, I'm – I'm sorry. I was just – I'm just trying to help."

Brennan took a step closer to him and whispered, hurt radiating off of her. "He wanted me to testify on his behalf. He just wants to use me."

Booth grabbed her hand and whispered soothingly, "Well, he's s con man, Bones, that doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. He's just looking for a little payback."

Brennan couldn't believe her ears, "Payback?"

Booth tried to explain it from how Max was probably seeing it. "Yeah. He's thinking that he got arrested so that he could spend some more time with you. I mean, you could at least return the favor by doing something nice for him."

Brennan took a step back from him and told him truthfully, "I'm not sure I want a father who's always keeping score."

The foundation of his and Brennan's relationship had always been based off of honesty. Even when it hurt. So he told her, "Yeah. Sounds like you are too."

Brennan was taken aback by that statement. Could Booth be right? "You know what? You're right. This is none of your business."

Booth knew that Brennan was just putting up her walls for protection. But she'd brought them down for him and he was going to help get her father back for her. His newfound zeal for such a task was in place as he told her, "You know what, Bones? You're never gonna forgive yourself if you don't cut the guy some slack just because you're afraid to get hurt."

Brennan pursed her lips as she turned toward the platform. "Ugh, what the hell is taking Hodgins so long?"

~BONES~

Brennan asked Booth as he was driving, "You told Reilly where Watkins is?"

Booth nodded, "Yeah, he's meeting us there."

Brennan didn't think it was a good idea. "He's too emotional."

Even though technically it was his case, Booth knew that in the end Sam would get the most satisfaction from it. "This is his case. He's invested."

Brennan shook her head, "He's irrational. Probably male menopause."

Booth couldn't believe that she actually said that. Male menopause, pffftt. "What? He's a good man and you know what? There's no such thing. That is a sexist myth."

Brennan smiled inwardly as she watched Booth squirm a little in his seat. "Factually, hormone production drops in your 50's. Sexual desire decreases. You have to deal with the reduction of muscle mass, erectile dysfunction…"

Booth could deal with a lot of her squinty talk but it end there. "Hey, alright, hey. Let's just keep the conversation up, shall we?"

Brennan told him another point, "And, there's evidence that certain men become very unstable."

Booth wasn't going to go down without some type of fight. He snapped back, "Do you want me to start talking about your father again?"

Brennan teased, "You're very testy."

Booth shot her a glare and told her – as if she didn't know, which she most certainly did, "And 35. I'm only 35."

Brennan looked down to conceal her smile, "Okay, okay."

Booth was nowhere close to getting… that. And he hoped he never did, but he couldn't help but add quietly, "They have blue pills for that."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan got out of the car and walked towards the house. It was eerily quiet. Booth said as much. "No. I don't like this, it's too quiet."

Brennan asked as she watched him look around for any danger, "Wasn't Reilly suppose to meet us?"

Booth nodded as he drew his gun, "Yeah." They went around the side of the house, trying to get a look inside as Brennan took out her gun. Booth rolled his eyes. Why he let her keep that monster of a gun he never knew. "Gee, why didn't you bring the big one?" They entered the house and walked through the rooms, still not seeing anyone. Booth made sure to keep his body in front of hers at all times. Suddenly, Brennan saw something in the other room. She started to walk toward it with care for her surroundings. But Booth pushed her back behind him, "Okay. Bones." They walked into the room and found Neal Watkins dead and Sam Reilly was standing over him, holding a gun. Booth reacted immediately stepping directly in front of Brennan and aiming at Sam's heart. "Easy, Sam. Put the gun down, step away from the body."

Sam watched as Booth stared at him unwavering in his position of protection to his partner. Damn he was proud of the man. "Booth, look at him. He did it to himself. I didn't do this, Booth." After a few tense seconds of Booth and Brennan holding their guns to Sam, he placed his gun on the arm of a couch. Booth only hoped that same was telling the truth.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, talking. Booth was playing with the lid on his cup of coffee.

Brennan smiled at Booth's antics, "How much scotch did you drink?"

Booth slurred a little as he said, "Oh, just enough. You know, I would have invited you, but Reilly. He just – wow – he doesn't like you."

Brennan couldn't believe that Booth was drunk. He rarely ever got drunk, with his past he didn't like it. She chuckled softly, "I understand."

It just registered to Booth that that hadn't come out like he meant it to sound. "I'm sorry. Was that rude?"

Brennan shook her head amused, "Not from someone who's been drinking."

Booth looked out at the Reflecting Pool, amazed. "God, you know, I love this place. I love it. I love this country. I love you. You know, I tell ya something. If I was working law enforcement back in the day when they threw all that tea, alright, in the harbor – I'm good, alright, I'm – I'm good. I would have rounded everybody up and we'd still be English."

Brennan laughed gently at his speech. "Ya think?"

Booth nodded and stopped as his head swam a little. "Yup. Yup. Definitely."

Brennan watched him as he sighed and took a sip of his coffee, trying to sober himself up. She took in a deep breath and told him, "I saw my father."

Booth was definitely surprised by that. But he was happy for her. "Wow. I didn't think that you were gonna – do that."

Brennan tried to explain it to him. "As an anthropologist, I accept change as the natural order of things - but with him I didn't allow for transformation. Ya know, I predicated his behavior based on a set of outmoded preconceptions. It wasn't rational."

Booth tried to follow her. He normally was able to get the gist of what she what she was trying to say, but the alcohol was slowing him down. "Wow. I - I didn't get any of that."

Brennan took in a deep calming breath as her emotions got the better of her. Booth sensed her change and leaned in toward her as she explained to him softly, "If I was conducting an objective experiment on my father, observing his behavior, I'd have to conclude that he loves me."

Booth looked at her trying to really understand. "Hmm. Why? What happened?"

Brennan smiled at her memory, "We played cards."

Booth nodded his head. "Cool."

Brennan's smile grew as she told him, "I killed him."

Booth smiled widely at her as he said, "Good for you." He leant up against Brennan's shoulder and rested his head there for a second or so before he kissed her shoulder lovingly. "I'm happy you're happy Bones. That's all I ever wanted."

Brennan looked down at him. He really had only done that for her. She leant down and kissed him softly on the lips. "Thank you Booth. Thank you." She now had her family back. It was shaky but at least she had Booth to lean on to.

* * *

 **A/N: Ok the story The Recovery before Surprise is technically it's a what if story. What if Brennan was pregnant when she was shot.**

 **Review**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Death in the Saddle**

Brennan walked onto the crime scene as Booth told Cam, "Only thing that came out of the kid was vomit."

Brennan would have snorted at that comment, but she knew that wasn't proper. "That would explain the pervasive smell…Why am I here?"

Cam looked at her as if it was obvious. "Dead guy, foul play... it's your main function."

Brennan looked down at the body and then back up at Cam. They had woke her up for this? Booth knew how cranky (his words) she got when she didn't get enough sleep. "With bones. This is…very meaty."

Cam saw the she was getting testy. She gestured towards the corpse. "No, there's a bit of bone here...and...there."

Booth winced internally. He knew that tone anywhere and if he didn't do something fast Brennan was going to start snapping at people left and right. He was also cranky, frustrated really. That damn phone call came at the most inconvenient time. He tried to sound happy, "And look at all the maggots."

Brennan nearly yelled at him. "Bones, I said. Not bugs."

Cam decided for another approach. Ignoring her. "Lividity looks fixed."

Booth nodded his head, "So. It's not a body dump, he was killed here." He wasn't about to get the brunt of his wife's crankiness (frustration as well). He didn't want to call her in based on the information that was given to him over the phone. If he wanted her here he would have told her before he left her in their very nice, warm, and comfy bed where both him and Brennan had been very worked up.

Brennan just got angrier from being ignored. "This is all flesh! Why'd you call me in on this?"

Booth raised his hands up in defense. "Wasn't me!"

Cam saw the tension rising between them (little did she know it was sexual tension) and decided to intervene, "It was me."

Brennan snapped her eyes back to Cam, her eyes narrowing. "Why? Is it because you're trying to think of excuses to put Booth and me together on cases?"

Cam shook her head and suppressed a chuckle, "I wouldn't do that, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan told her confidently, "Well, cause we worked things out, and we're fine." She then gave Booth a heated look, "Right?"

Booth unconsciously took a step closer to her, his hips moving forward. "Yeah. Hundred percent."

Cam looked up at them very confused from the drastic change from just a few weeks ago in their relationship. This was…something else. She shook her head, "That's...that's not why I called you in."

~BONES~

Brennan was at her desk, looking at sites about horses on her computer as Booth came in, "Hey."

She looked up at him with a big, goofy smile and joked, "Hay is for horses!"

Booth chuckled softly at her attempt at humor, "Heeey, that's funny, Bones!"

Brennan smiled up at him as she explained, "I found it on this website about horses."

He should have known that she would try to get as much information as possible about horses, even if that meant jokes. "Yeah?"

Brennan looked down at her screen again and asked something that she thought that Booth wouldn't be able to get. "Where do horses stay in a hotel?"

Booth shook his head at her joke. "Bridle suite."

Brennan looked at Booth surprised that he got it so fast. "That's correct."

Booth couldn't help but smile at her incredulous look. "Mm-hm. So did you find out anything useful?"

She clicked a few times to show him what she found. "The hooves of champion thoroughbreds are buried separately from the corpses. The hooves represent power, and are given their own resting spot. Our victim's feet were separated from his body."

Booth took a step back as something occurred to him. "Wait, the victim's wife said he was at a corporate retreat, and his boss said he took time off to spend with his family."

Brennan spoke his thoughts, "He lied."

Booth hated it when they lied. It made their job a lot harder. "Yeah, they could all be lying."

Brennan nodded her head in agreement. However she couldn't get the question out of her mind. She needed to ask it. "How did you know the answer to the bridle suite joke?"

Booth leaned forward smiling at her, "I have a five year-old son." Brennan pouted a little at that, but Booth gently kissed it away. "Come on Bones. You can tell me some more jokes while we figure out what Mr. Ed was lying about."

~BONES~

Lucky led Booth and Brennan into a main room in the Ambassador, where a number of half-naked people were leading around also half-naked, whinnying, leather-clad partners dressed as BDSM versions of horses. The 'horses' had begun to eat from a trough, while the 'riders' sat down at a table for their own meal. Booth took one look at it and was thoroughly disturbed. "Wow, what's goin' on here?"

Brennan looked at the group with some interest. "It's a fetish."

Booth scrunched up his face a little at that idea. "Uh, so the idea here is that one of them is the horse and the other one is the rider?"

Lucky nodded, "Basically."

Brennan corrected them, "Well, this isn't about the horses. It's about a dominant versus submissive balance of power, a variation on sado-masochism."

Booth couldn't help but make the observation, "Those people are eating from troughs…" he turned to Brennan, "Do you think that's sexy?"

Brennan neither answered or denied it, "Fetishism is a way of indulging in sexual activity, without actually engaging emotionally with the other person as a fully formed human being. "

Booth snorted a little at that remark. "Okay, sex is all about engaging. You don't wanna engage, you just stay home, and... you know." He motioned to his groin area.

Brennan tried to suppress her smile at Booth's discomfort of speaking about sex or anything relating to sex in the open. "Well, they have masturbation fetishes. Often involving women's shoes or undergarments…"

Booth cut her off before she could finish that sentence, "Uh, can we just talk to Mr. Ed's mistress, dominatrix...whatever." God this case just got a whole different kind of weird.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were back at the mansion and found the 'riders' running their 'horses' through a series of routines. Oh god this was just getting worse for Booth. "Okaaay, what is this, sicko rodeo?"

Brennan observed what everyone was doing and told Booth, "Stylised movements, uh, posturing as a kind of sexual signal."

Booth shook his head in slight disgust, "Who are these people?"

Brennan looked at him, a sly smile spreading across her face. "In real life they tend to be very orthodox. You heard what Lucky said, they're lawyers...judges... FBI guys..."

Booth shook his head again and laughed nervously, "This is not normal, okay, it's uh..."

She gave him a pointed look and asked, "It's what, Booth?"

Booth looked at her, not sure if she was angry at him. She couldn't possibly…could she? "You're not interested in, uh..."

Brennan continued to look at as she answered. "Pony play? No." She then told him honestly, "But I'm the first to admit that in sexual situations, I have indulged in... role-playing before."

Booth hated bringing up their past relationships (Brennan said it had something to do with him not liking thinking about someone else being with 'his' woman or something like that). "'Kay, you know what, it's getting a little warm out here, what do you say we go back…" Thankfully Lucky came up to them then, saving Booth from having to finish that sentence.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were seated at their usual booth, eating dinner at the Royal Diner. Booth couldn't help but make a remark about Brennan's new choice of diet. "How's that salad?"

Brennan took a bite of it before she told him, "There are many health benefits to being vegetarian. It's a rational choice in a world where food supplies are affected by global warming issues."

Booth snorted softly, "What about global taste issues?"

Brennan jabbed right back, "Is that meat sweet, rich, super-lean, and soft?"

Booth threw his burger down in slight disgust at that reminder. "What, does it taste like horse meat?"

Brennan shrugged her shoulders and told him, "Maybe you should consider going vegetarian, too."

He shook his head. "I didn't lose my appetite because you mentioned horse meat, I lost my appetite because you made me think about all those people parading around, pretending to be something they aren't, just so they could have crappy sex."

Brennan looked at him incredulously, "How do you know it's crappy?"

Booth told her as if it were obvious, "Gotta be, Bones, come on! It's gotta be!"

Brennan still didn't get it. "Why?"

Booth leant forward towards Brennan as he told her honestly, "Why? I'll tell you why. Here we are. All of us are basically alone, separate creatures just circling each other. All searching for that slightest hint of a real connection. Some look in the wrong places. Some, they just give up hope because in their mind they're thinking 'Oh, there's nobody out there for me.' But all of us, we keep trying over, and over again. Why? Because every once in a while, every once in a while, two people meet." Brennan noticed that his eyes grew the slightest bit darker as he continued to look at her. "And there's that spark. And yes Bones, he's handsome. And she's beautiful. And maybe that's all they see at first... But making love? Making. Love. That's when two people become one."

Brennan leaned forward as well. Her breath shallow as she told him, "It is... scientifically impossible for two objects to occupy the same space."

Booth's knees brushed against hers, sending a jolt of awareness through both of them. "Yeah, but what's important is we try. And when we do it right, we get close."

Brennan knew what he was talking about, but she couldn't help but say. "To what? Breaking the laws of physics?"

Booth smiled and said in a deeper, huskier voice. "Yeah, Bones. A miracle. Those people – role-playing and their fetishes and their little sex games. It's crappy sex. Well, at least compared to the real thing."

Brennan looked at him as she remembered the first time they made love and thought of all the other encounters she's had. "You're right."

Booth's smile widened, "Did I just win that argument?"

Brennan leaned forward as she whispered, "Yup." She cut off anything else Booth was going to say by kissing him. Their mouths slanted across each other as their tongues slid together in an intimate dance. As the need for air grew too intense to bear they broke apart. They looked at each other, heaving chests, swollen lips, darker colored eyes, and they both knew that they were heading home…now.

Booth threw a wad of cash that would cover the bill and tip, grabbed her hand and nearly ran to the car. By the time that they got his SUV they were already kissing again – their own arousal's from being interrupted from the beginning of the case igniting to an all time high. Booth gently pushed her against the passenger side door, cupping her neck and lower back to bring her closer and her mouth more open for him.

Brennan wrapped her arms around his torso, her hands going under his jacket feeling his muscles bunch at her touch. She loved his body's reactions to her, she relished them. Once again the telltale sign of the burn in her lungs told her that she needed oxygen. She broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against his and whispered, "Take me home Booth. Make love to me in our bed."

Booth groaned at her words and kissed her one more time before he released her and ran to his side and slid in to the driver's seat. The ride back was all a blur to both of them. But they made it back and in their place in record time. Before long, Booth was on top of her – with both of them naked – kissing his way down to her breast while one of his hands cupped her mound and gently touched her sensitive bud.

Brennan wasn't expecting it when he stuck three fingers into her core, but her back arched in the air as pleasure exploded throughout her body. Booth groaned against her breast and told her huskily, "God, you're so wet Bones."

Brennan started to move against his hand as she threaded her fingers in his hair. She told him breathlessly, "All…for you." That just made Booth groan even louder and Brennan felt his own arousal grow even more against her thigh. But this wasn't what she wanted. No, she needed him. She told him as much. "Booth, I need…you inside me…Please."

He didn't need to hear anymore encouragement. He withdrew his fingers and aligned himself at her entrance and slid home. They both groaned at the feeling. It never got old. It always felt like the first time for both of them. Booth just held himself there, savoring the feeling of her muscles taking him in. They were both looking at each, their emotions clearly evident on the faces. God, they loved each other so much. But then Brennan's inner muscled squeezed him – encouraging him to start moving. His head fell into the groove of her shoulder and neck and he groaned as he drew out slowly until he was almost all the way out and then slid back in to the hilt.

Booth kissed his way up to Brennan's lips as she started to wrap her arms around him, her hands sliding up and down his back. They took it slow at first, letting their bodies set the pace. But soon the tension started to coil so tight in her stomach that she wrapped her legs around him and her hands went down to his buttocks and she urged him to go faster. "Faster. Harder."

Booth grunted as he sped up a little more. He could feel his own tension starting to build as Brennan gently scratched his back in pleasure. God, he was so hard that it hurt. But this was about both of them getting pleasure and he never came without her coming for him. He slid one hand to cup her hip and angled it just the slightest bit and he knew that she was extremely close now, by her soft gasps and her hazy look in her eyes. He started to move faster and faster. Harder and harder.

Brennan was so close, but she needed something more. She looked up at her husband with half-lidded eyes and knew what it was. She grabbed his face and kissed him with all she had. And then she fell over the edge. She screamed out her pleasure, "Oh god, yes, Booth!"

Booth was so surprised by her sound climax and the way her muscled wrapped around him that he exploded inside her with such fierceness. "Fuck, Bones!"

He then collapsed on top of her, his bones turning into nothing. After a minute or so Booth regained some of his strength back and he started to roll off of her, but she just held him tighter in place. "I'm going to crush you babe." Brennan merely dug her head in the crook of his shoulder and sighed in content. Booth smiled at her reaction. He wrapped one arm around her back and rolled her with him as he wrapped a blanket around them.

He was still inside her, stroking her back when she finally got some of her thinking ability back and murmured against his chest, "I think we broke the laws of physics, Booth."

Booth laughed softly as Brennan smiled against his chest and kissed him lovingly. He was handsome and she was beautiful. But together, that's when they became one. A true miracle.

* * *

 **So y'all probably wondering why I haven't been posting well in Chapter 1 I said will only posting on Wednesdays and/or Tuesdays**

 **P.S. I posted Chapter 2 by accident**

 **Reviewing is your friend, so befriend it**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – The Secret In the Soil**

Booth and Brennan were standing with the hands touching slightly in Sweets new office. And Booth was none too happy about it either. He had planned a big surprise date with Brennan for tonight and this little boy shrink had to ruin.

Sweets – who was of course the innocent bystander in this – told them, "Okay, Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth. Together. A little closer. Okay, yeah, that's perfect. Beautiful. Now keeping your back straight, I want you each to lean forward."

Booth had done a lot of things in his life, but this was seriously about the most outrageous of all. "No."

Sweets looked up from where he was seated and asked, "Excuse me?"

Brennan sighed and grabbed Booth's hand so they could finish with this session – which she thought was wholly unnecessary – and get home. "Come on, Booth. I'm sure this is just one of those meaningless exercises meant to illustrate the importance of supporting each other."

Booth wasn't having it. "We agreed to see another therapist, not be action figures for a 12-year-old."

Sweets was a little offended – and scared if he was going to admit it – by Booth. "I'm 22, Agent Booth. I have a doctorate in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where my dissertation on the effects of job stress was published."

Booth smiled tightly and said, "That's great. I'm sure your mother is really proud of you, Sweets."

Sweets took in a calming breath and tried to remain professional. "Dr. Sweets, or Lance, you know, if you're more comfortable with informality, but I'd prefer, out of respect for each other and the process of psychotherapy, that we at least try to, uh..."

Booth pushed some papers toward the boy and sort of glared at him – because he didn't want to frighten the kid…unless he didn't sign those damn papers. "Sign the forms so I can get out of this suit and I could have a Saturday night."

Brennan sat down and tried to get comfortable. For some reason Booth was in one of his moods. Which either meant his plans for tonight were postponed or he wanted to have sex. And she would much rather be doing the latter of those options. "I don't care how young you are. I've never believed in psychotherapy."

Sweets sat back in his chair then and told them honestly, "Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, this isn't a game. The FBI is considering severing your partnership."

Brennan sat forward at that announcement. "What?"

Booth's anger flared even more. He didn't like hearing that. "Why?"

Sweets involuntarily snorted, "Why? Dude, you arrested her father."

Brennan shook her head. They had already gone over that. And it was Booth's own father-in-law, even though no one but Caroline knew about that. "He was just doing his job."

Sweets still didn't think that she could be okay with that. "Yeah, but come on, he, like, he arrested your father. He's going to have to be a witness against him. Circumstances such as these tend to stir up a lot of scary feelings."

Booth leaned forward and told him, "I don't have scary feelings. Maybe you need a little night-light at night to sleep."

Sweets smiled nervously. "Agent Booth, you've been trying to intimidate me since the moment you stepped in here. And you've succeeded."

Brennan put her hand on Booth's biceps and gently pulled back. "Don't...scare the boy, Booth."

Sweets cleared his throat and tried to gain control again. "Now, I need you both to, uh, fill out these questionnaires and get 'em back to me. Don't share your answers. It'll help me evaluate whether Dr. Brennan's services should be signed to a new agent."

Booth shook his head. That would happen over his dead body and only then. "That's not going to happen."

Sweets looked at Booth directly, trying not to show his fear. "Like it or not, Agent Booth, I'm the therapist in charge of this case, so I suggest that we work in cooperation rather than conflict."

Brennan would never work with another agent, but if doing the stupid questionnaire meant she could still work with her husband, then she would do it. "I can cooperate."

Sweets smiled at her and then looked at Agent Booth, "Good. Agent Booth?"

Booth's jaw clenched as he tried to control his temper. He grabbed the packet and told him, "I'm still going to call you Sweets."

Sweets sighed, "Yep."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were driving back home from their session when Brennan looked up from the questionnaire. "It's some kind of personality test."

Booth shook his head in aggravation. All his planning, down the drain now. "I can't believe he gave us homework. You know, probably his. What kind of kid works on a Saturday night?"

Brennan looked up at him and told him. "Oh, that's my fault. I told him I wasn't available during the week."

Booth couldn't believe it. "Whoa, whoa, why'd you go and do that? I had a surprise for you! Seats right behind the dugout." Brennan had been telling him that she had never been to a baseball game one time when they were watching a game on TV – and he had never taken her to one while they were dating. She said that it had so many anthropological factors. So he had planned this whole baseball experience for her. He was even going to bring her to meet some of the players afterward. He sighed as he heard his phone ring. "Booth."

Brennan was slightly disappointed to hear that they missed the game. She really would have liked to observe everyone. She always liked going to games with her husband, especially hockey. She was slightly distracted by the image of Booth playing hockey that she didn't see him looking over at her paper a little too late. "Don't look on my paper."

Booth gave her a sheepish look and then said into his phone, "Okay, yeah, got it." He looked over at Brennan and told her, "Well, there's only one thing more fun than therapy on a Saturday night and that's a dead body."

~BONES~

Brennan was sitting at her desk when Booth walked in, "Hey. Angela called. She wanted me to...Hey, is that the test from Dr. Sweets?"

Brennan looked up and smiled, "Yes."

Booth walked up to her and joked, "Well, what'd you put for number seven? Because I put 12 to 15 times a day, and now I'm thinking I really misunderstood the question."

Brennan chuckled and shook her head at him. "We're not supposed to discuss our answers."

Booth walked up behind her and started to look at her answers. "Come on, Bones, the teacher's not in the room, let me see."

Brennan brought the packet to her chest to cover the answers and shook her head, "Is this how you got through school, Booth?"

Booth answered, "No. Well, maybe algebra, but..."

Angela walked in then and smiled as she saw her two friends bickering, again. "Hey, Booth, I got your I.D. Franklin Curtis, age 54. His wife Margie reported him missing yesterday."

Booth took the paper that Angela gave to him and read where their victim was from. "Whoa... Augusta county. He was rich."

Angela nodded, "Yeah. Founder of the Natural Sun organic supermarket chain."

Brennan loved going there. "There's one near ou-, erm, my apartment. Excellent selection of local produce."

Booth looked at her. This was one of their regular 'debates' that they had before they went grocery shopping. "Totally overpriced. A carrot is a carrot."

Angela added, "Hey, it's worth it. Organic, there's no pesticides. It's from sustainable farms. Every time that I buy something there, I feel so virtuous."

Booth read some more from the file, "Guy started off with a single roadside produce stand, which he grew into a nationwide supermarket chain."

Brennan nodded at that. "An organic capitalist."

Booth had seen people get killed for a lot less. "Ambition like that is bound to create a few enemies."

Hodgins walked in then with some results. "I tested fabric samples from the victim's pants They were covered with chloropicrin."

Booth had no clue what that was, but by the look on Brennan's face it was something important. "Why the pinchy face, Bones?"

Brennan told him, "Franklin Curtis built his whole career on organic produce and chloropicrin..."

Hodgins finished for her, "Is a pesticide."

~BONES~

They were back in Sweets office, at another session. "Two independent people often find themselves...Agent Booth, are you listening?"

Booth had his knee up against the table flipping his phone for any possible messages. "What?"

Brennan touched his arm and told him, "The judge will call when the warrant is issued, Booth, pay attention."

Booth couldn't believe that they had to be there, that early in the morning. "What, I'm in the middle of an investigation. I get distracted."

Brennan glared at him slightly, "So it's not my investigation, too?"

Booth shook his head. "It's too early in the morning for this."

Sweets jumped on this disagreement. "No, no, no, this is good, let's talk about conflict. When you guys argue, how do you come to a resolution?"

Brennan told him. "We don't argue."

Sweets snorted at that. "Come on, remember, zone of truth, right here."

Booth agreed with his wife, they didn't argue. They just… "Fine. We might bicker a little bit, but that's not arguing."

Brennan did not agree with that either. "Bicker? I don't bicker."

Booth gave her a pointed look. "No? What about the whole environmentalism thing?"

Brennan shook her head. "That was a discussion."

Booth laughed at that. "You pretty much told me my penis was going to shrink if I didn't eat organic food."

Brennan smiled slightly and said, "That's not bickering, that's being a good friend."

Booth straightened his jacket as he said, "My penis is just fine, thank you."

Brennan didn't have any argument there and she smiled knowingly at him as Sweets said, "Now we're getting somewhere. All right, I think we're in that truth zone."

Booth felt himself start to respond to Brennan's heated look. God, the woman was going to be the death of him. He snapped at Sweets, wanting to get out of there, "Stop with the whole truth zone thing, alright? Bones and I are trying to catch a guy who cooked a tree hugger. So just score the personality test so we can get back to crime fighting."

Sweets nodded as he saw Booth's anger flare – or what he thought was anger. "Yeah, that's good, Agent Booth. Now let the anger lead you to the fear. You can't be whole, you can't do your job to its fullest, unless you get in touch with that fear you feel. Now Dr. Brennan and I are going to close our eyes. Follow the anger, all right? Feel it? Feel it softening. You feel that?" Booth and Brennan look at each other and tried their hardest not to laugh. Sweets opened his eyes as he heard them chuckle. "Very mature, guys."

Booth's phone buzzed as he got a message. "Got to run, Sweets. Got the call. Let's boogie, Bones. And, um, look, next time, you really should tell me if there's going to be an essay on the test."

~BONES~

They were back with Sweets in his office as he asked them, "So, case finished?"

Brennan answered, "Yes."

Sweets smiled and said, "Congratulations."

Booth didn't really feel like being congratulated for this case. It was a hell of a mess of heartache. "Yeah."

Sweets made his observation of Booth known to them. "You don't seem too happy."

Booth told him honestly, "Well, because sometimes, if you win, you end up with somebody else's pain and screwed-up life. You work for the FBI, you should know that."

Sweets tried to dig a little more. "Must be a challenge for you to access those feelings."

Brennan's own anger flared at Sweets remark. He didn't know Booth. She put a comforting hand on Booth's knee while she snapped at Sweets. "Okay, stop. You don't know Booth. You don't know me, you have a limited view of us based on superficial data you've accumulated on a standardized questionnaire, and a subjective analysis from talking to us that is not at all scientific. So. Back. Off."

Sweets was glad to see such a fierce reaction from Brennan, but he was puzzled by her show of comfort for her partner. "Just trying to help."

Brennan glared at him. "By questioning his humanity?"

Booth unknowingly slid his hand up and down her arm trying to relax her as he said soothingly, "Okay, Bones, now you're going a little bit overboard. He's just a kid. Right? I mean, the worst thing that's probably ever happened to him was he lost at Mortal Kombat."

Sweets observed Booth's actions and noticed how Brennan did seem to relax. He asked her, "Are you normally this protective of him, Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan answered honestly, "We are partners. Our lives depend on being protective of each other."

Sweets asked Booth, "And you feel the same way, Agent Booth?"

Booth squeezed Brennan's hand as he answered, "Sweets, I can only hope that one day you know what a real partnership is."

Sweets smiled at them. "You two are very close, that was evident in your superficial, standardized questionnaire and my unscientific observations."

Booth perked up a little at that. "Yeah?"

Sweets nodded, "You complement each other."

Booth smiled and shook his head, "No, she never compliments me. Did you compliment me in the questionnaire?"

Brennan smiled a little at Booth's mix up. "'Complement,' not 'compliment.' 'Ple.' He means that we complete each other," she smiled at him before she added for Sweets sake, "as a team."

Booth smiled at that and nodded, "Yeah, right."

Sweets didn't know how to place those smiles, but he decided that it was a good thing and probably something they did without realizing it. "Now, we've got a lot to work on over the next few months."

Brennan looked at him in joy. "Meaning we get to stay together?"

Sweets nodded, "Yes."

Booth sighed, "I'm sensing a 'but'."

Sweets said, "However…"

Brennan whispered to Booth, "It's the same as 'but'."

Sweets went on as if they hadn't said anything. "I have observed some underlying issues that need to be addressed."

Booth didn't like the sound of that. "Issues?"

Sweets nodded, "Yes. There's clearly a very deep emotional attachment between you two."

Booth jumped at that. He didn't want their relationship to come out like that. "We're just partners."

Sweets narrowed his eyes at that comment. Interesting. "And why do you think I would have thought otherwise?"

Booth joked, "'Cause you're 12."

Brennan tried to divert Sweets skeptical look, "Don't read into anything that Booth said. We're professionals. There's a line that doesn't even need to be there."

Booth went along with her. "Not at all, I mean, if there were no more murders, I would probably not even, you know, see her."

Brennan nodded, "That's very true."

Booth couldn't help but add, "Might have coffee."

Brennan shook her head, "Probably not."

Booth looked at her in confusion, "What?"

Brennan looked at him as she heard his sad emotions in his voice. "What?"

He didn't understand why she wouldn't even have 'coffee' with him. "You wouldn't even have coffee with me?"

Brennan told him logically. "Well, in your scenario, we wouldn't even know each other because there are no murders."

Booth clarified. "Were. I said 'no more murders.'"

Brennan sighed in slight relief. She didn't like the idea of not knowing Booth or being with him. "Then fine. I mean, we could have a coffee. So that's clear, then? I mean, we'd have coffee and that's our relationship? Coffee."

Booth nodded as he saw her love for him in her eyes. He then looked at Sweets and how he was observing them. "Yeah, let's move on."

* * *

 **I'm sorry I haven't posted I've just been busy alot. Right I have a headache but I still posted for you guys**

 **Please Review it's thing that keeps this story alive.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Mummy in the Maze**

Dr. Potoska led Booth and Brennan toward the maze as he spoke to Brennan, "Right this way, miss."

Booth admired all the costumes everyone was wearing. "Now, that's an excellent costume." He was still trying to decide what he was going to be. He asked Brennan, "What are you wearing?"

Brennan looked at him confused, "What? Now?"

Booth chuckled softly at that, "No, not now. At the Jeffersonian Halloween Ball."

Booth and Brennan followed Dr. Potoska into the maze as Brennan answered, "What I always wear. Are you going this year?"

Booth smiled and said happily, "I'm the official unofficial FBI liaison to the Jeffersonian. Of course I'm going." He was never able to go before since no one at the Jeffersonian knew about their relationship and it would be rather odd for Brennan to bring someone she wasn't supposed to know. But now they could finally go together! It was going to be amazing

~BONES~

The inside of the dungeon had lights flashing, and a background sound of shrill screams. Booth walked in and stopped when he saw the killer clown. The clown had wrinkly skin and long sharp teeth. Brennan entered behind him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Booth jumped and yelped in surprise. He pulled out his phone to cover that up, "Um... the phone rang. It's Cam on the phone. It's ringing."

Brennan smiled slightly as she told him, "Coulrophobia."

Booth looked at her confused, "Huh?"

Brennan pointed toward the clown, "The fear of clowns. Coulrophobia. May explain why you shot that clown last year."

Booth scoffed at that idea, "Look, I have no problems with clowns. I can stand right here. See?"

Brennan tried not to laugh at Booth's alpha-male tendencies to have no fears, "Uh-huh..."

Booth answered his phone. "Booth."

Cam told him, "We got an ID on our maze victim off of Angela's sketch."

Booth nodded as he kept a close eye on the clown, "Great. Uh, details to follow."

He pulled the phone away from his ear about to hang up, except Cam continued, "I think you want to hear this now. Name's Stella Higgins, fifteen years old, disappeared a year ago today."

Brennan asked him, "What's she saying?"

While on the phone, Booth was obviously uncomfortable with the clown. Booth kept looking back to it as if it was going to come to life. He told Brennan, "ID and date of disappearance of our maze victim."

Cam told them the interesting part, "Stella was last seen at Shoreline Amusement Park."

Booth was not expecting that, "Wow!"

Brennan looked at him, "What wow?"

Booth covered the mouth piece and told her, "More coincidences." He then talked to Cam, "Uh.. Thanks!" Booth hung up the phone and told Brennan the new information, "The maze victim disappeared from here. So we just go right past the clown. I can walk right past the clown, like she said. Just right..." Booth began to walk past the clown, just as he was facing the clown, the clown began to rotate and the clown's arm nearly touched Booth. Booth dodged the clown's arm as he let out a scream.

Booth and Brennan continued through the dungeon. Brennan read a sign, "Torture dungeon." She then imitated the evil laughter coming from the speakers.

Booth shook his head and laughed, "Yeah, okay. Clown, scary. Not you." They entered the torture chamber and began to look through the various dummy corpses. Booth scoffed at some of those 'corpses'. "Oh, gee! You're kidding me, right?" Booth pointed to a mannequin strapped to a torture chair. "Look at the eye, uh? It's a Ping-Pong ball."

Brennan walked up to a pile of corpses and looked at one in particular. "Not this one."

Booth walked over to where she was leaning over, "How do you know?"

Brennan was still examining it when she told him, "Human remains, Booth, it's sort of my speciality. This is a dead person."

~BONES~

Booth was holding up a case file as he told his wife through a closed door, "I got of the killer from Sweets." Booth was dressed up as a nerd squint. He was wearing a clean buttoned up shirt, with a Jeffersonian lab coat over top. He had dark thick rimmed glasses with white tape in the middle.

Brennan corrected him, "You mean Dr. Sweets."

Booth's complete assemble was finished off by the beige pants that were way too short for him and the huge calculator tucked into his belt. He thought that it was perfect. "Well, it's only theory, Bones. I mean, it's what he's best at. I mean, he's only twelve. Sweets says the killer is definitely a male."

Brennan made the observation, "Gregg is a male."

Booth shook his head as he continued to read the file, "No, Gregg and Lola work their sick little thing together. Sweets says that the killer works alone and has a respectable blue-collar job. In his public life, he's into saving people, he's unmarried. Oh, he has a police or military background."

Brennan stepped out dressed as Wonder Woman. "You do realize that Sweets is basically describing you, right?"

Booth turned around and saw Brennan's costume, "Wow!"

Brennan smiled at him and asked, "How do I look?"

Booth couldn't help but joke, "Good. Wonder-ful. Get it?"

Brennan shook her head and laughed, "Yeah."

Booth walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist bringing her up against him, "'Cause you're Wonder Woman." He kissed her on her neck and whispered huskily, "And I am married." Brennan moaned slightly as he trailed kisses up her neck, "I'm married to the hottest, most kick-ass woman in the world, who just so happens can to be the sexiest Wonder Woman ever.

Brennan murmured her approval, "Mmmm, I know." She then looked at Booth and almost burst out laughing. "What are you supposed to be?"

Booth drew back and smiled at her, "Oh, I'm a nerd squint." He leant over and pushed his glasses up. He then pulled out his big calculator and pushed a few buttons and said in a nasal voice, "You see, what the rationale behind that conclusion is?"

Brennan shook her head and headed toward the platform with Booth following, "That's not what they look or sound like."

Booth said still in his nasal voice, "You mean 'we.' That's not what 'we' look or sound like."

Brennan did laugh at that, "Okay."

Booth smiled, "You see what I did right there? I corrected you, you know, in character…" he laughed "... as a squint!"

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan climbed down the ladder into the basement of the floral store. They looked around and came to gate padlocked shut. Brennan pulled out her gun and cocked it. Booth looked back at her and asked, "Okay, where did you even find a place to carry that?"

She pushed him toward the padlocked and chained wire gate door and asked, "Look, could I please shoot this one?" Booth tugged on the chain and the padlock fell off. He shook his head and opened the gate. His wife had the oddest fascination with guns. They both entered the subway access area as Booth led the way. Brennan then noticed an open door off to the side and pointed it out, "Booth?" Brennan walked up the short stairs and entered the room. Inside the room they came across a worktable with several empty vials and syringes. Brennan smelled the table, "Cedar oil, lacquer. This is where the killer mummified the bodies."

Booth looked at the empty vials on the floor. "Ephedrine, other...other drugs." Booth then realized who it was. "I know who the murderer is."

Brennan looked at him surprised, "Who?"

Booth heard footsteps and looked up at Brennan with concern, "Let's get out of here." Booth rushed out of the room with Brennan's hand tightly grasped in his. He started to explain to her what he knew, "Lola beats up the girls, leaves them bleeding. Who shows up to help? Access to drugs."

Brennan's eyes widened, "The EMT. Smart. You should wear a lab coat at all times."

Booth kept walking through the area trying to find a way out as he told her, "Puts them in the back of his ambulance, he knocks them unconscious." They were just about to make a turn when they heard a girl's scream. Booth didn't want to risk Brennan's life so he told her, "Just stay there." Booth reached for the padlock on the door, but it was locked. The girl screamed again and Booth definitely knew where they were coming from now, "Screams are coming from inside."

Brennan pointed her gun at the door and asked, "Can I shoot it?"

Booth shouted, "No!" However, Brennan fired at the padlock. The bullet bounced off something and hit Booth. He yelled in pain, hopping up and down as he clutched his leg. "Yow! Geez!"

Brennan covered her mouth with her hand in shock, "Oh! Sorry! Sorry, Booth!"

Booth couldn't believe this. He had just been shot, by his own wife! "You shot me! Damn it! I said no! Don't shoot! No!"

Brennan moved toward him and asked, "Are you all right?" She then said in amazement, "I think the bullet bounced off my bracelet. Just like Amazonium."

Booth was still clutching his leg as he said, "Geez, Bones." Brennan made sure he was alright and then she went to take the padlock off and opened the door. The floor was littered with snakes, though, and Brennan screamed as she jumped up on some nearby boxes. Booth looked at her in confusion, "What are you doing? They're not poisonous."

Brennan huffed slightly, "I know. I know."

Booth motioned for her to come down, "Then why don't you come down?"

Brennan nearly whimpered, "It seems I'm not completely in control of my actions."

Booth turned and offered his back to her. He couldn't believe that she was scared of snakes. "Just get on my back." Brennan climbed onto his back as Booth groaned slightly. Usually it wouldn't be hard for him, but he was shot in the leg. "Ooh! God, Bones." Booth, with Brennan on his back, entered the room. They saw that Megan Shaw was in a far corner of the room, attempting to stay away from the snakes. "Megan?"

Brennan tried to soothe her, "It's okay."

Booth asked in a calm and even voice, "Can you understand me?"

He started to approach Megan, but she looked up and screamed. Brennan glanced over her shoulders and saw what caused the girl to scream – a killer clown was in the doorway. He cocked his shotgun and was about to shoot them, but Brennan raised her gun and shot. The shot hit the door as clown ducked back from the doorway. The backfire caused Booth to drop Brennan and she fell back and hit her head against the wall. "Ugh! My head."

Booth was sure that he was going to have a heart attack by the end of this with all the shooting Brennan was doing, "Just stop shooting at things, Bones." Booth headed out of the room to chase after the clown.

Brennan called out weakly, "But, he had a gun!"

Booth checked out the door before he turned back to her. "You stay here. Anyone comes through that door, you shoot their heads off—except me."

Brennan lifted her gun up towards Booth and told him meekly, "My gun is too big for me."

Booth sighed and shook his head. Now she saw that. "I could've told you that a hundred times. Here, take mine." Booth exchanged guns with Brennan and told her, "Guard Megan."

As Booth headed towards the exit with his gun raised, Brennan reached out towards Megan. "Come on, Megan. Come here." Megan and Brennan stayed huddled in the corner.

Booth carefully and slowly left the room in search for the killer clown. Booth traveled along the wall with his gun raised. He stopped and heard the clown jump down from above him. The clown cocked his gun which caused Booth to turn around. The clown fired, missed and hit the concrete near Booth. Booth ducked and fired back as he went behind a pillar. Inside the room, the shots could be heard which caused Megan to whimper. Brennan rubbed her arm soothingly and said hopefully, "It's okay."

Booth turned and leant against the pillar as he reached for his abdomen area. He felt a wet stickiness and cursed softly, "Damn it." Booth checked his side and he saw that he was bleeding. Booth tried to put that out of his mind and looked to see where the clown was. He saw him peek out from behind where he was hiding and fired off a shot. The killer clown moved behind his wall but then came out and shot at Booth as well. The clown took his mask off just as Booth yelled, "How could a guy with military training miss with a scattergun? What were you, Navy?"

Geller removed the shells from his shotgun and reloaded as he called back, "Infantry." Geller heard Megan whimper again and heard another female voice. He then told Booth, "Which is how I know you're carrying the 50-caliber 500. Well, that's five shots. And by my count you only got one shot left." Geller stepped out and fired. Booth checked his gun and groaned, Geller was right. "That's one dumbass gun to bring to a shootout! Where's your backup, Booth? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

Inside the room, Brennan tried to get Megan to remain silent. "You need to be quiet. Can you do that, Megan?" Megan nodded her head as Brennan stood up. They started to make their way towards the door, but Geller heard Megan whimpering again. He turned his head toward the snake room just as the girls reached the door. Geller fired at the door, hitting it. Brennan and Megan screamed and backed away.

Booth's heart stopped in that moment. He called out, "Bones, you all right?"

Brennan took in a deep breath and yelled, "We're okay. We're okay. He's using you to get to us."

Geller taunted him, "Not for long, Booth. I'm just gonna stick my scattergun in there and empty the barrels." Booth was not going to allow that. He picked up an access panel and used it as a shield as he made his way back to the snake room. Geller shouted, "Your girl is gonna look like hamburger."

Geller turned around and fired at Booth, his shot hitting the access panel. Booth fell back as he dropped the panel. Geller ducked behind the open snake room's door as Booth got up. Booth cocked his gun and aimed for Geller as he said softly, "One shot." He fired and the shot went right through the metal door and hit Geller. Geller grunted and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Booth whispered again, "One hell of a shot." Brennan and Megan finally exited the room, with Brennan pointing her gun on Geller's motionless body. Booth sighed in relief as he saw Bones walk out and told her, "Now can you see why I hate clowns?"

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan walked into the Jeffersonian – both looking horrible – seeing that it was completely empty. Brennan asked, "Where is everybody?"

Booth shrugged slightly, "At the party, I guess."

Brennan knew how much he was looking forward to finally being able to go since the last two years have had to be canceled due to cost cut-backs. She offered, "We could still go."

Booth looked between the two of them and shook his head, "Ah, we look like hell."

Brennan joked, "It's a Halloween party. We could be Wonder Woman and, what's Superman's secret identity?"

Booth pulled his nerdy glasses out of his shirt pocket and placed them on his face. "Clark Kent."

Brennan laughed and said, "Yes. We could be Wonder Woman and Clark Kent after a really, really bad date." Brennan took a seat on the steps of the platform and groaned slightly

Booth still couldn't believe it. "Yeah, bad date because you shot me."

Brennan tried to defend herself, "It was only a flesh wound. And you dropped me on my head."

Booth snorted, "After you shot me. Okay, I think I got you on this one. Okay, Wonder Woman?"

Booth removed his glasses and took a seat next to Brennan. He sighed heavily and Brennan knew what he was thinking. She wrapped her arm around his and whispered, "I'm sorry you had to kill someone. I know you hate that."

Booth rested his head against the top of hers as he said, "Yeah, he had it coming."

Brennan nodded. She knew that he would do anything to protect her, but he still didn't have to like it. "You hate it. I'm sorry that happened to you."

Booth shrugged slightly, "We saved the girl. We're all still alive. That's a pretty good date."

Brennan joked, "Except not really a date."

Booth smiled as he said, "I know. It was..."

She finished for him, "...work. Not a date."

Booth joked back at her, "Really, really hard work."

Brennan added, "And we're not really Wonder Woman and Clark Kent. We're Brennan and Booth."

Booth finally laughed softly at that, "Look, you're the one who brought up the date analogy."

They sat there for a few moments in silence before Brennan asked, "You hungry?"

Booth put on the nerdy glasses again and smiled down at her, "Yeah."

Brennan nodded, "Me, too."

They both got up as Booth led the way and Brennan lagged behind. Booth already had a place to go to eat in mind when he said, "Okay, let's go grab a bite to eat." While Booth headed towards the door, Brennan stopped, and began to spin around in a circle with her arms up at her sides. Booth turned around and saw what she was doing, "What the hell are you doing babe?"

Brennan stopped spinning in circles and blushed slightly, "Nothing."

Booth laughed softly and grabbed her hand, "Come on Wonder Woman, Clark Kent wants to take you out on a real date. Without guns."


	6. Chapter Break

**Chapter Break – The Teddy Without the Bear**

Angela couldn't believe her luck. She had actually persuaded Brennan to come out on one of her weekday (because why wait for the weekends) shopping sprees. That in itself was a miracle, but now as they walked into Victoria Secret's – with their arms full of bags on Angela's insisting that most of the clothes Bren bought she just had to – Ange started talking about why Bren needed something sexy to wear under her news clothes and Bren didn't even put up a fight! Angela looked at Brennan as she looked through a rack of teddy's and couldn't help but ask nonchalantly, "So Bren, are you thinking of anyone specific to show these new clothes", she then added with a cheeky smile, "and lingerie?"

Brennan looked up at her trying to hide her shocked expression as best as she could. She had been thinking about someone. She and Booth hadn't really had an anniversary two months ago since she was out of the country. He had flown in for it, but there wasn't really much to do celebration wise. Although as she thought about that day and pleased smile across her face, remembering the whole day they spent in her room. That had been a sort of celebration, but Booth had told her a few days ago that he had a surprise for her tomorrow and that she should clear her afternoon. He also told her it was a late anniversary present. So she had been thinking of getting some new corsets and whatnot to surprise Booth with tomorrow as well.

Angela of course mistook her spreading smile as something else. She smiled back at Brennan and asked after a slight squeal, "Who is it, Bren?" After a pregnant pause she asked with a raised eyebrow, "Could it possibly be that studly Agent Booth?"

Brennan stiffened slightly at her husband being mentioned. She then quickly scoffed at Angela words and told her, "Angela, why would you even ask that? You know how I feel about him."

Angela snorted at that. "Yeah, why ever would I think that when there's sexual vibes every time you two are together? I mean, honestly Bren, you two could light a whole city with the sparks that fly between you." She gave her a knowing look. "I say you jump on that train before it leaves you behind. And I don't believe that you don't like him, whenever you are around him you both lean toward each other. Whether that's knowingly or not already speaks volumes of what it could mean! You guys are so cute together."

Brennan huffed slightly. She hated lying to her best friend, but since Parker was threatened during that one case right before they were married, no one but very close and trusted people have knowledge of them. And now that her and Booth were working together it was even more important that no one found out about them. Not only could one of their suspects use it against each other if anything ever happened to one of them, but Cullen had said very specifically Booth couldn't work with her if they were together in a personal relationship considering that they worked with such high-risk cases.

Brennan looked at Ange and told her, "We work together. It's not going to happen. And I don't need someone to buy new lingerie. I could buy it for myself."

Angela just rolled her eyes and nodded her head. "Okay sweetie, whatever you say." Although in her mind she knew that those two would end up together. And she wasn't going to stop trying until it happened.

The rest of the shopping experience went on and Brennan bought three new corsets, two teddies, and four garter belts. She also had a slew of other new clothes and an outfit that she knew Booth was going to love tomorrow when he picked her up at the office.

~BONES~

Brennan had just finished put in her left earring when Angela walked into her office and stopped dead in her tracks. "Wow Bren. Hot date?"

Brennan turned around surprised to see that anyone else was still here. "Ange, what are you doing here so late?"

Angela gave her a knowing look and told her, "I was going to ask if you wanted to go to a club with me, but it looks like you already have plans." She then raised one of her eyebrows and asked without speaking, Who is it?

Brennan smoothed her hands down her dress and cleared her throat. "I have a venue to go to today."

Angela chuckled softly and shook her head at her friend's lie. "Okay Bren." She then started to leave and called out, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Brennan watched as she left and sighed in relief and then hurriedly turned off her laptop and locked her office. She had just stepped out of the Jeffersonian as Booth pulled up. He stepped out of the SUV, having not seen her yet and she stood by the door as she looked at him appreciatively. He really was quite handsome. And he was wearing one of her favorite suits, the three piece one with the purple trim. She unconsciously licked her lower lip as she stepped out of the shadows and started to walk toward him with a sway to her hips.

Booth had just leaned against the passenger side door when he looked up and saw his wife walking toward him. He was so shocked at what he saw that he had to look at her from head to toe again. She was wearing a new dress – which he knew for sure because he would have remembered it. It was a midnight blue mid-thigh length dress that hugged all her curves. It had a sheer overlay that just accentuated her cleavage and she was wearing Booth's favorite pair of shoes. Those fuck-me-pumps.

Booth pushed himself off the car and waited until Brennan was in front of him when he said, "You look amazing Bones." He leaned down a little a kissed her briefly since they were still in front of the Jeffersonian. He then took her hand in his and pulled her toward the car as he said, "Every man will be looking at you tonight, babe, thinking that I'm the luckiest bastard alive to have you on my arm."

Brennan laughed softly at his alpha-maleness and shook her head as she slid into her seat. "Where are you taking me anyways? You just told me to dress like we're 'going out on the town' and that I should be prepared to dance." She was going to let his statement slide about her being on his arm since they were celebrating their anniversary.

Booth got behind the driving wheel and pulled away and told her, "It's a surprise Bones. But you'll love it."

She huffed slightly at that. She hated not knowing where they were going. However, about fifteen minutes later Booth pulled into a parking space and smiled widely at her. "We're almost there." He then walked over to her side of the car and offered his hand as she slid down. They walked across the street and down the block. Booth then guided her around the corner and she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the club in front of them.

Blues Alley was brimming with life. A line of people waited outside the door, just waiting to go in. She had also mentioned it to Booth when they first started to date – and only then. She had told him of how much she had wanted to go to listen to the greatest jazz and blues players just once. But her still being just newly out of college had no money and Booth had just been getting over his gambling problem couldn't take her. At one point when she had been dating both Stires and Booth at the same time, she had mentioned it to Michael. But he didn't like blues music and so he never took her. After she was financially stable, she just never had time for it.

She couldn't believe he remembered this place. Brennan looked up at him with wide eyes and whispered, "Booth, you remembered."

Booth wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her tenderly. "I remember everything you tell me Bones. But this is only half the surprise. Come on." They started to walk toward the club and past the line of people and up to the bouncer. Booth handed him what looked to be like tickets and then they were ushered into the club.

Blues music immediately filled the air as they were led to their table. Booth held the chair out for Brennan and then sat into his own seat beside her. They were given their menus and then the waitress left them to go to her next table. Booth leaned over and whispered, "Is it everything you thought it would be?"

Brennan looked around at everyone. People were dancing, the music was incredible, and she was with the man she loved. She smiled at him and whispered back, "It's better."

Booth smiled widely at her and then placed a loving kiss on her hand. After a few minutes of looking over their menu, Booth flagged the waitress and ordered. "I'll have the Sarah Vaughan's Filet Mignon with your McCarthy's single malt."

Brennan smiled at the waitress and ordered, "I'll have your Dizzy Gillespie's Shrimp Creole with a glass of your best Pinot Noir." The waitress told them that the food would be out in about twenty minutes and that the main event would be starting in about forty minutes due to some delays.

As she left Brennan looked at Booth skeptically, but then Booth stood up and asked, "Would you care to dance?"

Brennan merely shook her head and let him lead her to the dance floor. A slow, bluesy song started to be played and Booth hugged her closely to his body as he told her huskily, "I just want to rip your dress off that body of yours and lick you all over. You have no clue what you do to me sometimes."

Brennan moved her hand beneath his jacket and drew him a little bit closer to her as she felt his desire for her against her abdomen and whispered, "I think I have a clue."

Booth chuckled softly as he leaned down to kiss her gently on her lips. "Happy late anniversary Bones."

Brennan laughed at that and then rested her head against his shoulder as they swayed to Come Rain or Come Shine. Booth started to sing softly in her ear, "I'm gonna love you, like no one's loved you. Come rain or come shine. High as a mountain, deep as a river. Come rain or come shine."

Brennan hummed along with Booth as he continued to sing softly to her as they continued to sway. As the song drew to a close everyone at their tables applauded the singer and the next two singers came up. When the music started to play the pair smiled at each other. Booth knew that they were so going to dance to this song. Brennan laughed as she said, "I love the Blues Brothers."

They danced to Everyone Needs Someone to Love enthusiastically, laughing throughout the whole thing. The next few songs passed by with the two dancing and laughing. They then weaved their way back to their table and sat down as Booth slipped out of his jacket. Revealing his vest and Brennan couldn't help but appreciate him. Booth draped his jacket over his chair and then whispered in her ear, "Stop having eye sex with me."

Brennan looked at him surprised and very confused. "I'm not having sex with you right now. And how can one have sex with their eyes?"

Booth smiled at her as he explained, "I meant that you were looking at me as if you want to strip me down right here. And then have sex."

Brennan made on 'o' shape with her mouth and then smiled, "That's because that is exactly what I was thinking." She then snaked her hand onto his thigh and whispered, "I love it when you wear your three piece suits."

Booth started to laugh as he leaned in to kiss her gently. He then deepened the kiss a little bit more but before it could go too far, their waitress came over and cleared her throat. Booth looked at her and tried to hold back a laugh as he saw how uncomfortable she was. A blush started to spread across her cheeks as she placed their plates in front of them. Booth smiled at her and said, "Sorry, we're celebrating our second wedding anniversary."

The waitress smiled brightly at them and said cheerfully, "Congratulations! I hope you have fun tonight."

Booth nodded his thanks and then turned back to look at his food. He rubbed his hands together and said, "This looks delicious. Let's dig in."

Brennan smiled at his child-like glee with food and shook her head wondering what else Booth had in store for tonight and looking forward to showing him just how much she appreciated it.

They talked throughout their meal about how their day had been since they weren't currently working on any cases together. They even got up one more time after eating to dance one more time. They were just heading back to their table when Brennan noticed a sign on one of their walls. She turned around to look at Booth with wide eyes and had just begun to say 'Booth…' when the MC came up and announced, "Ladies and gentleman, I am happy to introduce to you one of the most popular blues singers out there, Cyndi Lauper!"

Brennan was looking at Booth with even wider eyes now as the first chords of All Through the Night. She couldn't believe it. But she knew she wasn't imagining anything as Booth's smile widened and he whispered, "Happy Anniversary babe."

He then drew her toward him and kissed her gently. After they parted, Brennan smiled vibrantly at him and turned toward the stage and watched one of her favorite singers sing.

Everyone in the club was standing either by their tables or near the stage on the dance floor. Booth and Brennan were standing on the floor, with his arms wrapped around her midsection standing behind her as the swayed to the music.

Cyndi took a few moments after singing a few songs to introduce herself and thanked everyone for coming. She next sang True Colors and then she took a break for something to drink. Brennan was about to take her seat again, but Booth stopped her with a knowing smile and told her, "You're going to want to stay here."

Cyndi came back up on stage smiled at the crowd. "I have had a special request given to me. There's a couple out here celebrating their second wedding anniversary and her husband knows how much she loves this song I'm about to sing. I was also told that his wife has a beautiful voice. So let's welcome on stage, Tempe Booth."

Brennan looked up at Booth shocked beyond belief. She didn't know how he did it, but she loved him a little bit more. Booth leaned down and whispered, "Knock their socks off, Bones."

They weaved their way through the crowd and Brennan was helped on the stage as Cyndi walked up to her and said in the mic while looking at Booth, "You didn't tell us she was a looker too." That got a few whistles out of the crowd as she gave her a mic and went on, "Okay doll, so I'll start it out and you just jump in when you're ready."

A slow beat started as she sang, "My mother says 'When you gonna live your life right?' Oh, mother dear, we're not the fortunate ones…" She then smiled at Brennan and shouted, "Two, three, four!"

She then started over, "I come home in the morning light." Then Brennan smiled at Booth and joined her, "My mother says 'When you gonna live your life right?' Oh, mother dear, we're not the fortunate ones. And girls they wanna have fun. Oh, girls, just wanna have fun."

Cyndi smiled at her and said, "You do got a voice doll!"

They continued to sing together throughout the whole song, even dancing sometimes. After they finished, Cyndi hugged her and said, "Congrats on your anniversary. Now go and have some fun with that husband of yours."

Brennan thanked her and walked off the stage to Booth – who was smiling at her. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That was incredible. Thank you Booth, for everything."

Booth started to lean down as he said, "Anything for you Bones. Anything." They then kissed and Cyndi called out, "That's my girl!"

The rest of the show went on for another hour. And soon after they left to head home. As they were walking upstairs Brennan told Booth, "I've got a surprise for you, too."

Booth looked at her and smiled, "You didn't have to do that Bones."

She smiled at him and then said saucily, "I know. But I wanted to and it'll make us both very happy in the end."

Booth knew that tone and almost pushed her inside their place, his eyes already turning a shade darker. He watched as Brennan slipped off her shoes and turned around so he could watch her unzip her dress from the back.

He was already half aroused by then but when he saw that she was wearing a corset underneath her dress, he was rock hard. He groaned loudly, "Fuck Bones. When did you get that?"

She looked at him through smoky eyes and said huskily, "Yesterday. And I got it just for you." She then let her dress fall to the floor, revealing a black corset with lacy black underwear.

Booth didn't waste any time. He strode over to her and swung her around to face him and kissed her hungrily. Brennan weaved her fingers through his hair as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Before she knew it, they were in their bed as she tore off his tie and vest while he unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down. By the time they came back up for air after another searing kiss, Booth's shirt was open and he was working on her corset with knowing fingers.

He finally snapped the last hook off as he greedily brought her breast to his mouth. Brennan cried out as pleasure shot through her and she rocked against. She wanted him in her, now. She said as much aloud and Booth husked out, "I hope you aren't fond of these underwear."

She hadn't even answered him yet when she heard a tearing sound and then she felt him slide into her. They both groaned in pleasure as they started up a perfect rhythm. Booth could hear their bed rocking from their movements, but what he heard the most was his wife's cries of pleasure as she climaxed. He roared his release just a few seconds later, collapsing on top of her afterward.

Brennan drew lazy circles on his back as she regained her breath, thinking how she very much liked her trip with Angela.

~BONES~

Angela called Brennan the next morning and asked, "So how was your 'venue' last night?"

Brennan looked over to her sleeping husband and smiled, "It was great."

* * *

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	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – The Intern in the Incinerator**

Cam and Booth were watching through the window as Brennan told Reardon about his daughter's death. Cam asked, "Ted Reardon? Victim's father?"

Booth nodded solemnly, "Yep, Bones is telling him his daughter's dead."

Cam sighed slightly and then told Booth, "Rumor has it Bancroft banished Reardon from the Jeffersonian because he felt threatened, politically."

Booth had gotten that vibe off the man when he talked with him earlier. His gut was telling him to keep a close eye on the man. "I know. Let's leave Bones to it."

They started to walk away when Cam asked, "Would it be insensitive to mention that my father's sixtieth birthday is coming up?"

Booth couldn't believe that it had been that long since he had seen her father. "Sixty already? Wow!"

Cam smiled at him as she nodded her head. "Uh-huh. We're having a big birthday dinner for him on Thursday night."

Booth smiled as he remembered her father. "Alright, you give him my best!"

Cam told him, "You do it yourself. You have to come with me!"

Booth's eyes widened at her statement. She didn't even ask him! He shook his head, "What? No! Not your family." He liked her dad, but her whole family…it was like walking into a pack of snarling wolves.

Cam implored, "I can't spend the night defending the fact that I still live alone to my family."

Booth was shocked beyond belief. "You never told them we broke up?"

Cam ignored that question and told him, "You wanna make a man miserable on his sixtieth birthday."

Booth was still having a hard time to comprehend what she was saying. "You want me to pretend that I'm your boyfriend?"

Cam smiled at him, "Yes, between six-thirty and ten on Thursday."

Booth groaned loudly. How was he going to explain this to Bones? "Camille, you're an adult. You can't live your life afraid of what your family thinks!"

Cam patted his arm as she told him, "Seeley, it's not going to be like this forever. One day he'll die!"

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were walking through the walkways of the catwalk above the platform. Brennan told him, "The bag tells us that Kristen was leaving the museum when she met with her killer."

Booth was flipping through her calls when he pointed out. "Look at that, a lot of calls to the same number. Let's hope it's our cheating husband."

Brennan took in a deep breath in and then told her husband what she was thinking. "Kristen was authenticating exhibits from the Gormogon vault."

Booth shook his head. He knew what she was thinking and he didn't want everyone to start thinking that. "Let's not go there."

Brennan went on though. "If Gormogon killed her, then Gormogon is one of us, somebody who works at the Jeffersonian."

Booth sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "You went there."

Brennan stopped in front of a window and asked confused, "What?"

Booth told her, "You went there and you gave him a nickname!" Right as he said that a body fell outside the window. They looked at each other as Booth asked, "That just happened, right? You saw that?" Brennan nodded and they both broke out in a run toward the stairs.

~BONES~

After Booth booked Aldrige, he let another field agent do the paper work. He had something important to talk to his wife about. As they were driving back home Booth pursed his lips as he tried to figure out how to broach the topic. He decided to just go with the truth. "Bones, Cam wants me to go to her father's birthday party tomorrow and pretend to be her boyfriend."

Brennan turned to look at him as he turned onto their street. She had not been expecting him to say anything remotely like that. "Okay."

Booth glanced quickly at her to gauge her reaction. She seemed…unfazed. "She also hasn't told them that we stopped dating when we did."

Brennan stared at him as she said, "She hasn't told her family that her monogamous relationship with you – which ended shortly before we started our relationship – is over. Why?"

Booth shrugged her shoulders. "Her dad can be very…unreasonable about some things. Not that I'm saying it's right for her to lie about it. I already told her that she should just tell her dad, but it is going to be his 60th birthday and that would really be bad timing."

Brennan nodded her head slowly as Booth pulled into his parking spot. "Okay. Why are you telling me this?"

Booth sighed as he rubbed his temples. It had been a long day. "I know when Cam came back into my life…things got a little strained between us. I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. If you don't want me to go, then I won't go. I'll give her some excuse."

Brennan smiled softly at him and said, "You would do that?"

Booth smiled back at her, some of his previous headache easing away at her smile. "Of course, Bones."

Brennan kissed him gently on his lips before she whispered, "I trust you Booth. I know nothing will happen. But thank you for telling me."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan exited the elevator and walked toward the interrogation room. Brennan had been grumpy when Booth got called in that morning since all the paper work went through and he could now interrogate Aldrige. They had had amazing sex last night and Brennan felt the tell-tale signs of her husband's morning erection against her ass. She had rubbed her ass against him, eliciting a groan and his hand to cup one of her breasts as his other hand cupped her sex and he started to rub her clit. He had just slid two fingers into her when the damn cell phone went off.

Booth had of course answered it, but then had restarted his efforts more vigorously bringing her extremely close to a climax by the time he hung up. She was on her back and he was leaning over her as he pushed in a third finger and she broke apart. She thought he was then going to slide into her, which is what she wanted, but he didn't. Instead, he kissed her sweetly by her ear and whispered that he had to get ready but that she should sleep in a little bit and he'd wake her before he left.

So there he'd left her. Completely satisfied, but wanting so much more. And she could see that he was in no better condition. That was so much like him. But she was having none of that. After she gained her fine motor skills back, she slid off their bed and walked toward the bathroom. She heard that the shower was on as she slipped in quietly. She knew instantly that he was using cold water, so she quickly walked to the shower and pulled the curtain. Booth made a sound of surprise as she turned to water to a hotter setting and stepped in with him. "Bones, what are you doing?"

However she hadn't answered him as she sank down to her knees in front of him, seeing that he was still semi-erect. She smiled internally as she got to work. Booth groaned loudly as he watched her mouth take him in. He had been hoping to take a quick cold shower and then rushing into work. As he felt her suck him even deeper and he bucked forward, he knew that wasn't going to happen. One hand weaved into her hair as his other one supported himself against the shower wall. Before long Booth was breathing roughly, while Brennan alternatively worked him with her hand and mouth. What did him in though, was when he saw her reach done to her sex and then lather his dick with her juices and then take him in her mouth again and started to work even more vigorously. He bucked forward once and then twice before he pulled away, grabbed her shoulders and brought her up against him. He wrapped her legs around his waist as he drove into her, pushing her against the wall. One of his hands wrapped around her and started rubbing her clit again like earlier. She didn't have far to go this time though and before she knew it, her world shattered. She screamed out his name as her inner walls clenched him causing his own orgasm. After their breathing settled and Booth was sure that she could stand on her own, he slid her down his body as her feet hit the floor. Brennan then smiled at him and whispered, "Good morning."Booth had laughed and hugged her, kissing her gently. They had finished their shower together and then he quickly dressed and left.

Brennan smiled as she looked at him. She was definitely satisfied now, but she still didn't understand why Booth needed her here. "Why do you want me to interrogate Aldrige?"

Booth told her honestly, "Because he thinks I'm stupid."

Brennan's eyes flared angrily at that remark. "You're not!"

He smiled at her as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the room. "Thanks, Bones, I know. Listen, during the interrogation, always refer to the victim by her first name."

Brennan was now even more confused. "Well, you're the one that told me that personalizing the victim doesn't work with sociopathic serial killers. They lack all empathy." She then poked him to emphasize that he was smart, "You told me that!"

Booth shook his head. He was happy to see that Brennan was protective of him, but she was looking at this case differently than how she should be. "We are not looking for gorgonzola today."

Brennan gave him a look as she told him, "Gormogon. Gor-mo-gon."

Booth stopped in front of the door as he told her, "We're looking for someone who murdered one girl and tossed her down an incinerator chute. Entirely different kind of a guy, so, inside." He then shooed her into the room.

Brennan started to resist his pushing. She hated it when he did that. "Don't- tell me- Don't- You are not bossing me around." She then smacked his hand. "Stop it."

~BONES~

Booth was playing with the glass stir sticks looking down over Hodgins desk. Hodgins came over to him, carrying the tray holding the rope. Booth was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear Hodgins come up. He had no clue how he was going to tell Bones that Cam's sister kissed him. Not that he kissed her back…sure his mouth was open but that was because he was trying to talk. Not kissing her back. So when Hodgins started to talk he was a little bit surprised. "Why are you here?"

Booth tried to cover up his surprise as he told the man, "I'm just waiting for Cam to finish cutting up Aldrige?"

Hodgins looked at him suspiciously. "She's done. Why are you here in my area?"

Booth sighed. He didn't have a lot of people that knew about him and Bones. Hodgins was one of the few and he was not about to call Pops over this. So he told him the truth. "Cam's sister kissed me."

Hodgins' eyes widened as he sat down. "Duuuuuuuuuuuude."

Booth glared at him as he said, "Don't call me dude. Alright, listen, I was supposed to be Cam's boyfriend, but only between the hours of six-thirty and ten. She kissed me at six-twenty so technically that doesn't even count." He heard Hodgins chuckle, but decided to ignore that. "Cam went to her office to get something. Felicia, she just grabbed me and planted one on me. I didn't even see it coming, I didn't even have a defense maneuver planned. Bones already knew I was going with Cam, but…"

Hodgins couldn't believe the man's luck…or lack thereof. "Wow. Alright, alright, uh . . . How are you," he looked over his shoulder, "how are you gonna break it to Cam and Dr. B?"

Booth sighed, "I don't know about Bones. But why would I do tell Cam?"

Hodgins lifted an eyebrow, "You want her to find out from her sister?"

Booth's eyes widened then. Oh man, this was worse than he thought. "Wow, this is worse than when we were a couple."

Hodgins laughed loudly and then quickly tried to cover it up. "Sorry." He covered his mouth, but he still laughed.

Booth glared at him. Why did he think Hodgins would be of any help? "I really should take my gun out and shoot you now."

Hodgins tried to put on a serious face as he said, "I'm sorry. No, it's serious." But then he broke out laughing again.

Booth was really tempted to shoot the bug-man. "You're not helping."

~BONES~

Brennan couldn't believe that she was denied access. She told them, "Neither do I!"

Booth pushed forward, "Excuse me."

Brennan stared at him incredulously, "Wait, you have a password?"

Booth smirked, "Yeah, Cam's." At Brennan's look he said, "What she won't mind."

Hodgins chuckled, while Brennan still looked incredulous. Hodgins moved back to the computer as he told them, "Well, Kristen Reardon worked on a lot of sixteenth century Baroque wood carvings."

Booth tapped on Brennan's shoulder as he whispered, "I know your password too. It's daffodil."

Brennan's mouth dropped open. "I never told you that!"

Booth shrugged, "What? I got eyes. I mean you guys aren't exactly CIA material."

Hodgins chuckled, "Daffodil?"

Brennan defended herself, "What? They're pretty."

Hodgins shook his head at his friend's and went on. "It looks like Kristen might've worked on some Luristan bronzes."

Brennan asked, "Any from the thirteenth century? "

He pulled up a list and pictures of artifacts. "Yeah, tools, utensils, sculptures…"

Booth asked them, "What's Luristan?"

Brennan told him, "Persia."

Booth's eyebrows rose as he heard that. "You mean Iran or Iraq. Since the war Iraqi museums have been looted and their pieces are being sold on the black market. This murder has nothing to do with the vault. Or a serial killer."

Hodgins couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Kristen Reardon was a smuggler?"

Booth shook his head, "More than likely killed by a smuggler."

Hodgins then understands where he's going with that. "She goes to report something and the smuggler kills her."

Booth nodded smugly as Brennan told Hodgins, "I'll have Zach check all these as possible murder weapons." She then turned to Booth and told him, "And I'm changing my password."

Booth watched as she covered the screen. He then leaned in a whispered, "Daisy."

Brennan huffed, "How did you know?"

Booth smiled at her. "It's your second favorite flower." Hodgins couldn't help but smile as Booth told her, "I know you Bones. Try a planet." He started to walk away as Brennan nodded and began to type. Booth walked a few steps and then snapped his fingers and turned around, "Jupiter!" As Hodgins saw Brennan glared at Booth he laughed and turned away. They were so much fun to watch.

~BONES~

As Booth drove to the post office he knew that this was going to be the only moment that the two of them could talk freely. He sighed heavily and just dove into it again. "Bones, I need to tell you something."

Brennan looked up at him from the file in her lap. "Okay."

He took in a deep breath and said, "Cam's sister kissed me last night. She only kissed me to get back at Cam for some sibling thing that I still don't get. But it was nothing."

Brennan tried to hide her smile and laugh, but a small chuckle escaped her lips. "That's why you were so tense last night? Because Cam's sister kissed you."

Booth nodded slowly. "You're not mad?"

Brennan couldn't help but laugh at that. "Did you sleep with her?" Booth shook his head and then she asked, "Did you like it?" Booth again shook his head. "Then no I'm not mad."

Booth sighed in relief. He knew deep down that Brennan would be fine with it, but still he was happy to hear her say that. Ever since the whole Sully debacle and then how their relationship was strained when he let Zach go to Iraq, he didn't want anything else to mess things up. He smiled at her as he pulled up by the post office. Everything was going to be okay.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were sitting across from each other in recliners at a small table in his office. Booth was pouring shots into paper cups as he told her, "Okay, don't take it so hard."

Brennan picked the cup and said, "I'm not taking anything hard." Booth raised his cup in a toast and she laughed, "What are we, Russian?"

Booth smiled at her as he said, "Nostrovia. Yeah." They drank the shots, sat down the cups, and crushed them with their hands. "I'll tell you what else I know. What you're taking hard is, uh, the fact that it happened in your house."

Brennan looked at him confused, "It's not my house!"

Booth shook his head as he explained, "Not where you sleep! Okay, you're favorite place, the house of reason, the Jeffersonian."

Brennan shook her head. "No. It's not my favorite place."

Booth gave her a knowing look, "Yes, it is one of them."

Brennan tried to deny it again. "What, no it's not- how do you know?"

Booth smiled, "Daffodil. Daisy. Jupiter." He poured another shot into two new cups as he told her, "Okay, I'll tell you what else I know," he lifted his cup in a toast, "you were hoping that it was gorgonzola."

They took the shots before Brennan corrected him, "Gormogon."

Booth smiled in triumph, "Ah! So you admit it!"

Brennan huffed in aggravation, "Accidentally! Does- does that count?"

Booth placed his hand on her knee and rubbed it softly as he told her, "Yes. Look, all the scientists and the squints and the eggheads, they wanted it to be a serial killer so it wouldn't be one of them."

Brennan was confused, "Them?"

Booth explained, "You."

That was even more confusing to her, "Me?"

Booth nodded, "One of you. You were all offended that it was one of you."

Brennan looked at him and nodded slowly, "You know what? I am offended."

Booth smiled, "I just said that."

He poured another shot as she said, "I'm offended! Because . . ."

Booth finished for her, "Because you were betrayed by one of your own."

Brennan nodded and then asked quietly, "Yes. Are you going to betray me?"

Booth looked into her eyes as he told her solemnly, "No."

As they toasted, Brennan said, "Nonetheless, I shall be vigilant."

They took their shots and then Booth laughed as he said, "'Nonetheless'?"

Brennan started to laugh as well as she said, "I'm not gonna have a headache tomorrow, am I?"

Booth poured more as he told her, "Well, we're gonna find out. Hodgins and Zach, they do their experiments. We do ours." They toasted as Booth said, "To Gorgonzola."

Brennan corrected him, "Gormogon." They took the shots, sat the cups down and before Brennan could crush hers, it fell off the table.

Booth looked down at the cup and smiled, "You missed." He started to chuckle a little at that. They were so going to get drunk.

* * *

 **I so sorry I haven't been posting only because my laptop wouldn't work, but it is now**

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	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Boy in the Time Capsule**

Booth and Brennan had just stepped into the crime scene as he looked around and said, "Wow. Now this is a sweet field. This is what I'm talking about, right. I mean, it's nothing like ours but hey, that didn't stop me from being MVP my senior year. Got the trophy. Touchdown!"

Brennan looked at Booth and not for the first wondered how she ended up with him. He had had such a different life in high school than she did. She was almost positive that if they had met while in high school, Booth wouldn't even had paid her any attention. He was a jock and she was – to put it in one of the nicer terms – a brainiac. Brennan couldn't help but tease Booth as she said, "In certain tribes in the African subcontinent, piercings serve as a reminder – like your trophy – of the power and agility which has since faded away."

It took a moment for Booth to finally register everything she had said when he told her, "What do you mean fade away...Whoa! Time out." He was about to defend himself, when he decided this was not the place to do so. "Can we just concentrate on the case?" He then turned to the police officer and asked, "What do we got here?"

The officer shook his head as he walked them over to the capsule. Just looking at it made his lunch want to make a reappearance. "We were all gathered for the opening. We had, uh, no idea that that thing was in there."

Booth whistled softly at the smell and the foul looking human soup. "Whoa. That is rank."

The officer grimaced as he looked at it before he said, "I was just expecting to see my 10,000 Maniacs album."

A man came up to them as he told the group, "That was not there."

Booth looked at the man as he withdrew his note cards. "Who are you?"

The man introduced himself, "I'm Gil Bates. I- I sealed it myself. I used a propoline seal and industrial bolt lags."

Brennan leaned in a little as she observed the skull as she made her findings known to Booth. "Adolescent Caucasian male. Late teens, early 20's."

Booth wrote that down as he continued to look at the soupy matter. "Alright, so…what do you say we just pack it all up and ship it back to the Jeffersonian."

Gil shook his head and told him, "Oh, I'm sorry. That's not a good idea. You see, the water has compromised they structural integrity of the case so…"

Booth smirked as he looked at Brennan and joked, "Would you look at this, Bones. Another nerd for your squint squad."

Brennan shook her head as an amused smile graced her lips. She then ordered, "Drill."

Booth looked at her surprised as she took the drill in her hand and came over to the end of the tank. "Drill. Drill? Whoa, wait a second. You're gonna drill right here? What about taking it all back to the Jeffersonian?"

Brennan nodded as he ordered for something else, "Tub." Booth watched – his hunger flying away – as she drilled a hole in the side of the capsule and the human soupy matter drained into the tub. God, sometimes his job could be really gross.

~BONES~

Brennan was looking out her window as Booth drove them back from Roger's old home. She couldn't help but question something that was nagging her. "Roger's father had no trouble getting physical so why would he resort to poisoning his son with a nerve agent?"

Booth however was thinking of something else entirely. He knew a lot about Brennan's past, her life in the system, how she felt when her parents disappeared, but the one thing that she never really went into details about was what she did as a teenager. "What sort of teenager were you, Bones?"

Brennan shot him a look and then ignored his question all together. "He did have a series of odd jobs. Perhaps he procured the poison from one of them."

Booth nudged her with his arm and said, "Come on. You have to at least had one good story before you pasted on the lab coat."

Brennan sniffed slightly before she told him, "I was busy. Studying."

Booth gave her a look this time. He knew that even at a young age she had to have been something else. "And in all those hours of studying, you never came across one hormone?"

Brennan pursed her lips and didn't answer for a few seconds before she sighed and told him, "Fine. There was one boy. Andy Pfleuger. He was the Varsity Lacrosse captain."

Booth smiled at that. They usually didn't talk about their past relationships, but knowing that his Bones had a crush in high school – that was something to smile at. "Did you kiss the Varsity Lacrosse captain?"

Brennan looked away as she said, "I was weighing the pros and cons when he became my secret Santa."

Booth's brows furrowed as he recalled, "I thought you hated secret Santa."

Brennan became angry just thinking about how she was humiliated back then. "Yes! Because he taped the gift to my locker. Everyone saw it. Teenagers can be cruel."

Booth heard the hurt in her voice. He didn't like it when she was hurting. "What was it?"

Brennan shook her head. She didn't want to relive the past. "Doesn't matter."

He nudged her again as he tried to coax her with is charm smile, "Come on, Bones."

Brennan looked at him for a few seconds before she said softly, "You promise not to laugh?"

Booth nodded, "I promise. I'm your partner."

Brennan took in a deep breath before she told him. "It was a Brainy Smurf." Booth tried really hard, but he couldn't help the snort that escaped. He thought that it was something a lot bigger. Brennan however didn't like that one bit and she slapped his arm, "You said you wouldn't laugh."

Booth tried to hold back his laughter as he told her, "I'm not laughing. Brainy Smurf, huh?"

Brennan glared at him as she said, "What? It was deliberate. He knew I wanted Smurfette!" Booth couldn't help the laugh that came out then. Brennan shot him her death glare and then said, "Okay, it's clear you find this amusing."

Booth shook his head as he tried to tamp down his laughter, "I'm not laughing. I'm not. What?"

Brennan's anger spiked. It was better than letting the hurt feelings to come back. She told him angrily, "You know, Angela was right. You were one of 'those guys'."

Booth stopped laughing as he tried to understand what his wife was saying. "What? One of what guys?"

~BONES~

Booth and Brenna were in Sweets' office for their counseling session as Booth tried to persuade him, "Come on, Sweets! Just, come on! You've done a lot of psychological profiling! The case is twenty years old. We just need some help."

Sweets shook his head as he told him, "That's not why we're here today, Agent Booth. This hour is for you and Dr. Brennan."

Booth waved that off. Brennan hated psychology. The more time he took up the more happy she would probably be. "Oh, she's not gonna mind. It's only going to take 5 minutes. Okay? 1987. Suburban kid is killed and stuffed into a time capsule." Brennan looked at Booth annoyed that he would just speak for her. She was mad at him as it was, that was too much. Booth went on though, "Fascinating, right? What kind of person would do that?"

Sweets ignored Booth and looked at Brennan. He noticed her annoyance right away and asked, "So have any conflicts or issues arisen since our last session?"

Brennan began to tell Sweets about what Booth did as she said, "Well…"

However, Booth interrupted her by saying, "Bones and I are doing just great."

Sweets ignored Booth again as he looked at Brennan. "You look angry, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan glared at Booth as she told Sweets, "I told Agent Booth a private story about my childhood and he laughed."

Booth cringed internally at her use of Agent. He was so in the dog house. He looked at her and said, "What? No. I…I was appreciating it. Don't get him involved."

Brennan told him honestly, a bit of hurt creeping into her voice, "Snorting does not suggest appreciation."

Booth told her honestly, "It was about a cartoon character from the 1980's! I didn't think you'd be so sensitive."

Sweets leaned back in his chair and told Booth, "Well, childhood icons have great significance to us, Agent Booth. Alright. I, myself, was very attached to Voltron." Booth and Brennan just looked at him wondering what the hell he was talking about, so he clarified, "Cartoon."

Booth just said, "Voltron?"

Sweets ignored Booth's comment and turned his attention back to Brennan, "You're hurt, Dr. Brennan, because you feel you opened yourself up to Agent Booth and he betrayed that trust."

Booth couldn't believe that their shrink was getting involved with this. "You're talking about a Smurf."

Brennan sat up straighter and said defensively, "Smurfette."

Sweets tried to placate the two by saying, "Perhaps a way to bring this relationship back into symmetry is if you reveal a childhood story about yourself. Show your vulnerability to Dr. Brennan."

Booth knew all about being vulnerable. That's why he was who he was today. Nobody made him feel like that again. "No. You know what? This is crazy. It's – it's not right. Tell him that it's not right."

Brennan tilted her head and asked sincerely, "Is it?"

Booth's jaw hardened as he narrowed his eyes. She was pushing him. She knew how much he hated talking about his past and being vulnerable. "Oh! You're on his side. Why don't you go play Voltron with him."

Sweets leaned back again in his chair and observed, "You were 'that guy' weren't you, Agent Booth. You were the golden boy who could get away with anything just by turning on the charm."

Booth snorted. "That's ridiculous. You don't even know who I am."

Sweets for his part – even if in ignorance – dug deeper, "Could it be that you're still holding on to that persona. That you're afraid to reveal yourself?"

Booth leaned forward as he said deadly calm and serious, "I'm an FBI Agent. I get shot at every day. I'm not afraid of anything."

Sweets saw something spark behind the agent's eyes and knew he had something. "Okay, this is obviously very difficult for you but you shouldn't be ashamed to ask for help."

Booth looked over at Brennan for help, but what he saw stunned him. She was looking at him tenderly and whispered, "You shouldn't." She had opened up to him about her past, even more so than he did her.

Booth sighed, knowing that he was going to do be doing whatever Sweets said – for Brennan, not for Sweets. "Okay. Okay. I apologize. I do. I need help, "he paused, just so he could see Sweets finally think he's had a breakthrough and then continued, "with this case. So, while you review this, I will reveal myself to Bones." Booth placed his hand on Brennan's leg and squeezed it gently. Sweets however took notice and Booth winced slightly at his words and actions, "I know that sounded weird, but you know what I mean."

Brennan placed her hand on his forearm and said, "So you will share an emotionally humiliating episode from your youth with me."

Booth knew that she was sparing him from more vulnerable topics but clarifying what she wanted. "Yeah. I – I have 'em. Here."

Booth handed Sweets the file and he took it as he smiled, "Alright, excellent. Now, for the remainder of our time, let's role play."

Booth took the hat that was offered him and put it on as he said, "Now I know why I'm not allowed to bring my gun in here."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were sitting at a table at the diner. Booth had been trying his hardest to remember some sort of humiliating event in his life during high school. But by then he had built up his charm and waxed over his own pain with said charm. He just didn't have a lot of humiliating things happen to him as a teenager. But there was one more. "Alright, there was this kid, uh, junior year."

Brennan shook her head. She now knew that Booth had been 'that boy'. "Okay, is this going to be another story where you think you were humiliated, but you actually were not?"

Booth sighed as he leaned forward and said, "Just listen to me. This kid. Junior year. Harlan Kinney. He was one of those real weird, ya know, looking kids. He had this big Adam's apple stickin out and he wore his dad's clothes to school. Ya know, with the whole stretchy belt around his waist."

Brennan's brows furrowed as she asked, "What's wrong with that? It's practical."

Booth shook his head as he continued, "You're not listening. He was one of those real superior types, always talking out of a thesaurus, and one day he came up to me and a bunch of my buddies and he called us a bunch of Philistines. You know what that means, right?"

Brennan nodded slowly, "Yeah. A Philistine is a smug, ignorant person who is antagonistic toward higher thought and intelligence."

Booth started to feel his stomach clench as he thought back on this event. "Yeah, well, I didn't know what that meant till I looked it up. I told Kinney, 'Look, I'm not Philistine. I'm Catholic.'"

Brennan laughed a little, seeing how it was very hard not to. "That's pretty close to humiliation."

Booth shook his head as he finally got to the important part of the story. "No, that's embarrassing, that's not the humiliating part."

Brennan quieted down as she said, "Oh."

Booth took in a deep breath and told her, "My buddy picked Kinney up and dangled him over the stairway. You know, he begged and cried, and everyone laughed."

Brennan was not getting were this was going, "How is this about you?"

Booth tried to explain, "I laughed."

Brennan was even more confused, "I don't understand."

Booth leaned back as he said, "I could've stopped it. I could've stepped in and helped the kid out. Instead I-I didn't. Chose my side, and it was the wrong side."

Brennan raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile at Booth's words. Maybe she was wrong on how he was in high school. "So you were humiliated because you didn't act like a hero?"

Booth threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Fine. Fine. You know what? I'm perfect. My life was perfect."

Brennan tried to placate him as she said softly, "It's a good story, okay? But it's a bad one. I - it's both, I guess. I mean, I get it."

Booth started to play with something in his hand as he said, "Yeah?"

Brennan immediately noticed said something in his hand and narrowed her eyes. "What is that?"

Booth crossed his arms as he tried to hide it from her view. "Nothing."

Brennan went back to explanation before and told him. "Well, you evolved. And evolution is very impressive and that is definitely not nothing."

Booth smiled sheepishly at her and held up Brainy Smurf. "This?

Brennan looked at him blankly as she asked, "Did you bring that for me?"

Booth shook his head. "No."

Brennan told him a little of her hurt creeping into her voice now. "Good, because it's the wrong Smurf. I liked Smurfette. That's Brainy Smurf."

Booth looked down at the toy in his hand and then back up at Brennan. He smiled at her as he said, "Well, Smurfette was a stupid, shallow Smurf who only had her looks. Look, you're better than Smurfette. You have your looks and a whole lot more."

Brennan looked at the figurine in his hand as she said, "You did bring that for me to charm me in case I didn't find your humiliation story impressive, but I did, so…"

Booth smiled at her and laughed slightly as he exclaimed, "Aha! So I did impress you."

Brennan shook her head and joked, "That's what impressive means, dummy. You're such a Philistine."

Booth chuckled as he looked at his wife. He was so happy that this argument was over with. "I'll tell you what. You can hold on to this, and it will remind you how far I've come."

Brennan took the Smurf from Booth's hand and traced it with her finger gently. She then looked up at Booth and smiled, "I forgive you for snorting, Booth."

Booth leaned forward and whispered, "Evolution is a long, long process. It takes hundreds of years."

Brennan smiled at him as she whispered back, "Thousands."

Booth leaned in a little closer, his eyes darting around to make sure that no one they knew could see them. "Why do you have to always correct me?"

Brennan leaned in a little closer as well as she whispered with a smile on her face, "To help you evolve." Booth smiled at her as he closed the distance between them with a light kiss.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – The Knight on the Grid**

Angela still couldn't believe it. "Somebody sent you human kneecaps in the mail? That is like…blech."

Cam grimaced a little at the thought as well. "Zach says they match our victim."

Booth had been pacing the floor with pent up aggravation. How had the killer known where she lived? Did he know about their relationship then? Thank goodness Brennan had called him right away though. He had dropped what he was doing in his office and nearly broke every law possible to get to their apartment quickly. They were definitely moving again. Definitely moving. Booth however tried to act calm…well calm-ish. "Look, we're dusting the envelope for prints. We'll send someone from the DC area."

Brennan ignored all of them though as she continued to examine the patellae closely, "These patellae are unusually worn."

Booth stopped his slight pacing as he asked, "Worn from what?"

Brennan thought about it for a second or two before she answered. "It's hard to say definitively but I'd say the man did a lot of kneeling."

Ange had been looking at the piece of paper that the patellae had come wrapped in and something clicked. "Wait a minute, I've seen that before. That symbol looks familiar, like it's from some kind of seal…"

Booth had been trying to think of a way to make sure that Brennan didn't go home and he had to get to the bottom of this quickly. "Okay, look Bones, you are going to you know stay with a friend, check into a hotel right?"

Angela offered her assistance immediately. "She can stay with me."

Booth would much prefer that she stay with him. But beggars couldn't be choosers, so this would have to do for now. "Great."

Brennan lifted her brow as she told Angela, "Thank you." She then told her, "No." She wasn't going anywhere and she wasn't going to be forced to do something she didn't want to do. She then realized what they were really saying and was very confused, "Why?"

Cam almost laughed at her colleague's obtuseness. "Mr. Kneecaps has your home address? "

Brennan huffed slightly at that. She honestly had been through much worse. "I can't freak out every time someone Google's me."

Booth ignored that and then looked at Cam. "Cam, she goes nowhere alone."

Brennan's jaw clenched at his words. He was just being extremely over-protective now. "Cam, don't listen to him."

Booth wasn't going to budge on this one, one bit. "Cam, who are you more afraid of, me or her?"

Brennan nearly slapped him on the arm for that. "Booth!"

Cam lifted her hands in the air and silenced both of them. "Whoa! So this is what it's like to be a kindergarten teacher."

Sweets walked in then and laughed a little at what he saw, "Fascinating interpersonal interaction."

Brennan looked at the psychologist surprised to see him there. "Dr. Sweets!"

Sweets looked at Brennan as he began to say, "I, uh." But then he saw what Cam was working on – a dead body. "Oh my, that is - gross."

Booth shook his head and told him plainly, "Yeah, it's an autopsy room, It's no place for therapists. What do ya want?"

Sweets was still looking at the open body as he told the pair, "Ah, you and Dr. Brennan missed our session this morning?"

Booth sighed as he told him, "Maybe because somebody sent body parts to Bones, in the mail."

Sweets watched as Cam took an organ out of the body and nearly lost some of his breakfast, "Oh my god!"

Zach walked in then and announced, "I've identified the murder weapon."

Brennan was very surprised by that. "Oh, that was quick."

Zach walked over to the group holding a knife like dagger and said, "Tapered, inch and a half, with both a hilt and a quillion. The cannelure is also quite distinctive."

Booth knew that knife. And he hated at that moment that he did. "That's the Gormogon knife."

Sweets eyes widened at those words. "The serial killer?"

That's when Angela remembered where she saw that picture. "Which is why the symbol looks so familiar. I've seen it on a tapestry - in the vault."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were walking down the Jeffersonian hallway. Booth had noticed after the whole Gormogon case opened again and Brennan had processed all of it, she had been worried about something else. But he didn't know what. "Okay, what's the matter?"

Brennan looked at Booth, still amazed that he could tell when something was bothering her. She sighed before she said, "Russ' girlfriend, Amy, came to see me. Her daughter is sick, she's looking for Russ so I told her my dad might know where he is."

Booth felt sorry for Amy, but that didn't change the facts. "Your brother is a wanted fugitive as a material witness in your dad's murder trial."

Brennan knew that too. Which just made this so much harder. "Amy knows that."

Booth shook his head. He knew deep down that he was going to have a hell of a week. "Well, he's not gonna come back just because your niece has a cough."

Brennan looped her arm around Booth's as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She was tired. Of all of this. "Well, technically, she's not my niece and it's not a cough, it's Cystic Fibrosis."

Zach walked up to them and looked at their looped arms and thought that it was rather odd. He then shook his head and told her, "Dr. Brennan, missing persons sent over dental records from middle-aged men. I checked them against the victim."

Booth shoved his hands into pants pockets as he asked, "Get a hit?" Neither he or Brennan thought anything of what they were doing.

Zach nodded and informed them, "Father Douglas Cooper. Vicar General to the archbishop of DC."

Booth nodded as he now understood Brennan's earlier observation. "Okay. Sweets was right about the kneecaps. This guy would have been a world class kneeler."

Brennan scoffed slightly at that. "Well, saying someone is a wiz at psychology is like saying they're good at mind reading. It's a series of lucky guesses."

Booth shrugged and told her as he looked down at her, "Well, I'm bringing Sweets in on the case."

Zach did not understand that move at all. "You make fun of him all the time…"

Booth told him honestly, "Only when he messes with our heads."

Zach conceded that point, "He was right about the knees."

Brennan didn't like that her assistant was taking Booth's side on this. She was also tired of this conversation. "Zach, shouldn't you be figuring out what was used to excise the kneecaps?"

Zach nodded as he answered, "Yes, Dr. Brennan."

Booth started to laugh as he watched Zach walk away. Brennan looked up at him confused. "What?"

Booth continued to laugh as he told her amused, "You just dismissed Zach."

Brennan huffed softly as she rested her head against his shoulder again. "No I didn't."

Booth smiled at her as he said, "Well, don't get me wrong, I liked it. Come on Bones, let's go to my office. You can sleep a little while I find who we can talk with." Brennan merely nodded sleepy. That sounded good to her.

~BONES~

Booth watched Porter walk out and then looked at Brennan exasperated. "Okay. Bones, you didn't have to call him corrupt."

Brennan was confused, yet again. "Why?"

Booth told her, "Why? Because obviously he is."

Agent Charlie knocked on Booth's office door right after that and said, "Agent Booth."

Booth looked up and said, "Yeah."

Charlie then told him, 'There's someone here to see you."

Russ appeared in the doorway as Brennan stood up and asked them, "Where's Hayley?"

Brennan looked at her brother, shocked to see him there. "Russ? You came to the FBI…"

Russ looked at her confused, "Yeah, that was the deal."

Booth just couldn't catch a break. He threw his hands up in the air. "Wow, this just keeps getting better. Alright. Russ Brennan you're under arrest. Come on, you know the drill."

Booth started to walk over to his brother-in-law as Russ pointed a finger at his sister. "You lied?"

Booth warned him, "Keep your hands down."

Russ glared at Brennan and said, "You told Dad Booth wouldn't arrest me."

Brennan shook her head vehemently, "No! I never said that."

Russ glared at her as he said, "I should have known better than to trust anyone in this family."

Her voice cracked as Brennan told him, "Russ, I swear."

Russ shook his head and said to Booth tightly, "I wanna see my stepdaughter."

Booth looked at Brennan and then at Russ. He had already handcuffed him and everyone around them was looking at the scene going on. He motioned for Brennan to follow him to the elevators as he guided Russ to them. This was so just not his week.

~BONES~

Hayley was sleeping in her hospital bed when Booth, Brennan and Russ arrived. Russ spoke softly as Booth took off his handcuffs, "Hi honey."

Hayley smiled widely as she said, "Russ, I knew you'd come."

Brennan and Booth stood in the doorway and watched Russ, Amy and Hayley talk. Brennan threaded her fingers with Booth's as she leaned in and whispered, "Thank you, Booth."

Booth shook his head as he whispered back, "Oh, this never happened. Don't thank me. As far as the bureau is concerned I caught him here, fifteen minutes from now."

Brennan leant up and kissed Booth softly on his cheek. She then whispered again, "Thank you, Booth."

Booth smiled down at her as she wrapped her arm around his waist and told her, "Just don't tell anyone."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were in a yellow cab as Booth drove behind the truck that transported the Sculpture, with Brennan sitting in the passenger seat upfront. Booth talked into his walkie-talkie, "Alright, everybody keeps their distance. I don't want to spook this guy."

Brennan tapped his arm to get his attention as she said, "I have a question."

Booth answered assuming what she was going to ask. "No, you can't drive. We're undercover and I'm the taxi driver."

Brennan rolled her eyes as she said what she really wanted, "Passengers don't sit in the front seat."

Booth sighed. She was always so technical with these things. "You're not a passenger, okay? You're a trainee. And I'm training you how to drive a taxi cab."

Booth watched as a motorcycle drove up next to them, took a look at them, and then sped off ahead of them. Booth spoke into his walkie-talkie, "Okay, all units be advised. I got a motor cycle with no plates." The motorcycle started to follow the truck and turned the corner, which left him out of sight. As Booth turned the corner he saw a backpack that was left lying in the street.

Brennan saw it at the same time, "Whoa."

Booth started to swerve a little, "Easy." He then hit the brakes to stop from hitting the backpack. Booth shouted at his wife, "Get down!"

Brennan didn't understand why he was telling her that though. "What - Why?" But Booth pushed her down and kept his hand on her back by her neck to protect her as he put the car in reverse. He started to drive away, but a mere second later the backpack exploded.

The taxi flipped a few times due to the explosion landing back on its wheels. After a few seconds Booth regained consciousness. He groaned as he felt the impact of the explosion, but he didn't even focus on him. Booth looked over to Brennan, concern rushing through him. "Bones. Bones? Bren!" Booth slammed his body against his door trying to pry it open, but it didn't work. He needed to get them out of there.

Booth looked over at Brennan and stretched his leg over her as he tried to kick open her own door. However that didn't work either. He did hear though, Brennan moaned after his failed attempt. Relief rushed through his body, but then he was concerned again that she wasn't moving. He looked at his window and made a rush decision. He looked at Brennan, "Don't move Bones." He started to pull himself out his window and fell to the ground, still disoriented from the blast. He quickly got up and limped over to Brennan's side of the car. He leant in and tried to pull her out, but his body was still in shock. "Okay. Put your arm underneath my shoulder Bren. Come on, you ready babe?" Brennan grunted her response. Booth took that as an affirmation. "On 3. 1, 2, 3. Move." He held onto her under her armpits as he pulled her out of the window.

Brennan finally started to get her bearings back as her husband pulled her out. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm okay, I'm okay Booth." But he didn't pay attention to that. He needed to get her away from the car. He brought her to the curb and placed her down gently. He then collapsed next to her, exhausted.

Booth caught his breath and then looked at Brennan, assessing her injuries. "Here. Get over here Bren. Let me look at you." He saw her minor cuts and then told her, "The paramedics are on their way."

Brennan's heart was pumping. She didn't know what to think or feel. But she did know she was pissed. They had lost their guy! "Now he knew who we were because I was sitting up front."

Booth shot up from where he was sitting. The woman could get under his skin even when he was scared to death for her safety. "No. It was because you were bad acting, that's what it was!"

Brennan looked at shocked. "What? Back at the vau-? I was good."

Booth started to pace a little. "No, you were loud! That's what they call overacting."

Brennan glared at Booth, her anger flaring. "Well, you shouldn't have shushed me! That's how he knew…"

Booth saw an agent running toward them and immediately asked, "Who's got the motorcycle?"

The agent shook his head, "Nobody. We lost the follow car."

Booth kicked the taxi's door. "Damn it! Wait, what about the truck?"

The agent told him, "It's fine."

Booth thought about that for a second when it dawned on him. "Wait a second. He knew the truck was a decoy. He wasn't trying to get the skeleton back. He was trying to kill us."

While Booth was thinking out loud, Brennan had been looking over her injuries when she noticed… "Booth." She had gotten up and was walking toward him.

Booth was still aggravated when he snapped a little at his wife, "What?" Brennan pointed to the wound on her arm. Booth became immediately concerned for her as he saw something imbedded in her arm. He came up to her and whispered to her soothingly, "Oh. Alright, easy Bones. I got it." He slowly and gently pulled it out and looked at it. "What is that?"

Brennan took the object from Booth and looked at it. "It's a human tooth. He put human teeth in his bomb for shrapnel."

Booth looked at the tooth and then at the remnants of the car and bomb. "Bones. He was trying to kill us because - we know his next target. The corrupter. That lobbyist."

And he knew exactly where the Gormogon was going. He ran off in the fastest route possible, leaving Brennan behind as she yelled, "Hey. Wait I want to come!"

The hell she was. He didn't need to be worrying about her life being in danger. She was safer with his team. He ordered, "Stay right there!"

Brennan stopped running as her adrenaline wore off. She hated it when Booth did this. Hated it.

~BONES~

Brennan was talking to Caroline Julian in one of the conference rooms about her brother. Caroline shook her head. The woman was unbelievable. "Normal person gets blown to hell? They go home, pour a glass of wine, watch tv with their husband!"

Brennan ignored that and told the woman, "Caroline, I think it should be worth something that Russ turned himself in."

Caroline snorted at that. "Bumpin' into Booth at the hospital is not the same as turning himself in."

Brennan shook her ehad, "That's not what happened."

Caroline lifted one sculpted brow. "It's what Booth says happened."

Brennan informed her. "No. Russ turned himself in but I convinced Booth to let him go see Hayley at the hospital."

Caroline looked toward the ceiling shaking her head. "I did not hear that."

Brennan took that as a literal thing and spoke louder. "Russ turned himself in, but I convinced Booth to let him go see Hayley at the hospital!"

Caroline still couldn't figure out how this woman was a genius and still… "Do I have this straight? You're a genius? An honest to goodness, died in the wool genius?"

Brennan nodded slowly. "Yes."

Caroline sighed, "Dr. Brennan. I like you - on and off – more on than off since you make Seeley happy, but your brother is a material witness in my murder case. I cannot recommend that he be set free."

Brennan tried one more time. "Please?"

Caroline said sarcastically, "Aww, well. Now that you said please…"

Brennan narrowed her eyes as she asked, "Are you being sarcastic?"

Caroline nearly shouted, "YES!"

Brennan sighed, "Oh."

Caroline looked at her and told her softly, "Best I can do is arrange for you to speak at your brother's parole hearing. Looking the way you do, maybe the judge will feel sorry and let him go."

~BONES~

As the group walked out of the office, Caroline slapped Booth's arm. He yelped, "Ouch!"

Caroline poked him hard as she told him, "I want you to consider what side you're on. Bishops and Psychiatrists and bleeding heart parole officers. That's what's wrong with the justice system in this country." She wasn't really angry, angry but still.

Russ saw Amy and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug before Booth said, "Russ, you gotta go with the Marshals."

Brennan grabbed her husband's arm and squeezed it as she smiled at him. "Thank you again."

Booth looked down at her and told her again, "I didn't do anything, again."

Brennan ignored that and turned to Amy, "You should thank him too."

Amy looked between the two and asked, "Why?"

Brennan told her honestly, "He saved Russ."

Booth shook his head, "I didn't do anything…"Amy ran up and hugged Booth tightly, catching him off guard. "Okay. Uh…Russ…uh…time to go."

Amy smiled at Booth before she went to grab onto Russ' hand one last time before Booth led him down the hall to the awaiting Marshals. Booth spoke softly to his brother-in-law and tell him, "Okay here's the thing, Russ. Alright? You run again? You disappoint that woman and her kids and you break your sister's, my wife's heart, I will…"

Russ smiled at Booth and nodded, "Do something, terrible. I got it."

Booth slapped him on the back. "Yeah, I hope you do." He then spoke to the Marshals and told them, "All yours boys."

Russ stopped them though and called out, "Hey Booth. Thanks."

Booth nodded his head and told him seriously, "Yeah. Clean nose, buddy. Clean nose, clean heart."

~BONES~

Brennan walked in after visiting Hayley as Booth just finished his last clip at the shooting range. He looked unsettled to her. She also noticed that each shot was straight in the heart of his target. She waited until he lowered his weapon before she walked up to him and smoothed her hands down his back. She felt him tense up a little before realizing that it was her and relaxed into her touch. She smoothed her hands around to wrap around him in a hug as she rested her cheek against his back. "What's wrong?"

Booth rested his hands against the stand in front of him as he sighed heavily. "He's still out there Bones. That psycho is still out there."

Brennan nudged him to turn around so that they were facing each other before she said, "We did everything we could Booth. We'll get him, like we always do."

Booth sighed as he hugged her tightly and rested his head against hers. After a few moments of silence Booth spoke again, "Bones?"

Brennan hummed in approval as he started to rub slow, lazy circles on his lower back. "Yes."

He hugged her a little tighter as he mumbled, "I think we should move again."

Brennan laughed softly as she thought back to the other times they moved since they started working together. After they first got married, after the explosion that nearly killed Booth, after Epps nearly killed Brennan, and this would be another time. But she wasn't going to argue with him on this either. She knew that if she asked him if they could move, he would do it in a heartbeat. "We can start looking when we get home."

Booth grunted his approval and then said, "Maybe we shouldn't tell your publisher about the address either." That definitely had Brennan laughing out loud.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – The Santa in the Slush**

Booth looked over at Brennan as he drove to the crime scene and finally said what he first saw when he had picked her up. "You got that sad little girl look on your face after you've been with your dad."

Brennan immediately began to deny it, "No I don't…" But then she saw that Booth was giving her a knowing look and sighed, "He wishes we could spend Christmas together with Russ."

Booth shrugged and said as if it was obvious, "Well, do it."

Brennan shot him a look now and told him, "They're both in jail. It's impossible. Plus, we already have plans."

Booth snorted and said solemnly, "Yeah, well I'm thinking about driving the truck right off the bridge. Oh, I'm being melodramatic and self pitying."

Brennan was a little shocked at that. "But you love Christmas."

Booth sighed as he explained, "I love it – you know – when we have Parker. But you know he's going skiing in Vermont with Rebecca and Captain Fantastic."

Brennan was confused by that. "Captain Fantastic?"

Booth looked at her sheepishly, "Ah, her boyfriend. Commands a Coastguard cutter."

Brennan gave him a deadpan look. "His last name isn't literally 'Fantastic', is it?"

He looked out the window and mumbled, "Might as well be." He then changed the topic, "You know they have a trailer at the jail, mostly for conjugal visits."

Brennan however didn't follow that change, "Captain Fantastic is in jail?"

Booth sighed in exasperation, "No. You're dad. You can give him what he wants for Christmas. Pull a few strings."

Brennan shook her head. "I'm not a string puller."

Booth snorted at that. Yeah she didn't pull strings. "I've seen you pull some strings."

Brennan tried a different tactic. "My father is a murderer and a thief."

Booth knew what she was doing and wasn't going to go along with that. "Well, murderers and thieves, they get Christmas too. In fact, it's kinda the point."

Brennan gave up trying to come up with excuses. "Well, we have other plans."

Booth pointed out what he had been telling her ever since they made their plans to go to Peru. "Well, skeletons and Christmas do not mix."

Brennan furrowed her brows. "That's exactly what my father said." She then realized that she didn't know where they were. "Where are we going?"

Booth smiled slightly as he joked, "Early Christmas present for you, Bones. Dead guy in a sewer."

~BONES~

Brennan walked into her office to find Booth asleep on the couch. She had had such a bad day and now with Russ refusing to help her… "Can't you sleep on your own couch?"

Booth jolted awake and looked at her half-asleep. "Sheesh. Just waiting for the squints to find out something." He sat up a bit and asked concerned, "How did it go with Russ?"

Brennan sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. "He says he doesn't want the girls to come."

Booth could see that she was getting frustrated but he couldn't help but point out, "Your dad, he wants the whole Christmas package. You know - the tree, the kids, the presents – the whole shebang."

Brennan just wanted to stuff a sock in the man's mouth. She knew what her dad wanted, but it just wasn't going to happen! "Well, the whole shebang isn't possible."

Booth tried to be positive. "Christmas – is about making the impossible happen."

Brennan spoke without thinking as she told him, "You mean like you spending Christmas with Parker." She immediately regretted those words, but she was tired and frustrated and just wanted to go to Peru.

Booth narrowed his eyes and told her stiffly, "Okay, you know what? That hurt." He took in a deep, calming breath through his nose and then said, "Wake me up when the, uh, squint squad finds out something." Booth turned back over onto his side and tried to go back to sleep.

~BONES~

Brennan and Caroline were in the kitchen area at the Hoover as Caroline was getting a cup of coffee. "I thought you guys were going to Brazil for Christmas."

Brennan corrected, "Peru."

Caroline waved that off. "Whatever. South of the equator. Doin' bone things with bone people."

They started to walk toward the elevators as Brennan told her, "I check with the jail and for my father to get the conjugal trailer, the prosecutor in charge of his case has to submit a written recommendation."

Caroline nodded, "Uh-huh."

Brennan stated the obvious, "You're the prosecutor in charge of his case."

Caroline gave her a vacant look, "I'm aware of that. Thank you, Dr. Brennan."

She then took a sip of coffee and realized it was missing something, so she headed back towards the kitchen again to adjust it. Brennan followed behind her as she asked, "So, will you?"

Caroline raised her brow and said, "You going to Brazil and all, what's the use of Max being in that conjugal trailer all by himself."

Brennan shrugged, "Well, I'm trying to persuade my brother to celebrate Christmas with his family in there too."

Caroline would have laughed at that image, "A Yule tide gathering of the Brennan criminal element. What do you mean, 'trying'."

Brennan sighed a little in frustration, "Russ doesn't want his step-daughters to know that he's in jail."

That piqued Caroline's interest. "How do you persuade them otherwise if they're actually having Christmas in the jail?"

They headed back towards the elevators again as Brennan told her, "One other thing. The Warden says no Christmas tree."

Caroline nodded, "That's right. Three years ago, somebody made a shank out of the star. Now no trees or ornaments of any kind."

Brennan said skeptically, "Isn't' that a little dreary."

Caroline told her drily, "Hey. Don't kill people, don't get sent to prison, have a Christmas pageant in your own home every year."

Brennan asked hopefully, "So, will you?"

Caroline took a sip of her coffee and grimaced. She started to walk back to the break room as she told Brennan, "I will."

Brennan said in surprised, "You will? Thank you."

Caroline nodded as she stipulated, "On one condition."

Brennan sighed. She knew it was too good to be true. "Booth said you'd say that."

Caroline smirked as she told her, "Did he say I'd ask you to kiss him?"

Brennan thought she was joking so laughed. "No." She then realized that Caroline wasn't joking. "Well, are you?"

Caroline nodded as she told them her rules. "No cheeks. No noses. Right on the lips."

Brennan furrowed her brow as she tried to think of that image. "People kiss people on the nose?"

Caroline ignored that question and told her, "I want you to kiss him - under some mistletoe."

Brennan couldn't believe her offer. "Kiss Booth?"

Caroline nodded as she smiled, "That's right, cherie."

Brennan still didn't understand, "Why?"

Caroline smiled sweetly at her as she told her, "Because it will amuse me."

Brennan didn't understand that either, "Why?"

Caroline shrugged, "Because you're all 'Dr. Brennan' and 'Special Agent Seeley Booth' and it's Christmas and I have a puckish side that will not be denied."

Brennan couldn't believe that. "Puckish?"

Caroline shot her a look, "What's the matter? You don't think I can be puckish?"

Brennan thought about it and said slowly, "Well, I never thought about it until now."

Caroline started to walk back to the elevators as she told her, "You want me to write that letter, you kiss Booth, on the lips, for no less than - one steamboat, two steamboats… five steamboats."

Brennan laughed slightly. "That's blackmail."

Caroline smiled and nodded, "That's correct."

Brennan shook her head as she told her, "That's unethical."

Caroline shrugged, "That's the deal, take it or leave it."

Brennan sighed, "What about a tree?"

Caroline shook her head, "No Christmas tree. No way. Not even if you squeeze his buttocks."

They arrived at the elevator as Brennan said, "Well, I don't know. Can I just - take you out to dinner sometime?"

Caroline shook her head as she said, "You kiss Seeley Booth, on the lips, and I'll make sure your daddy has his dream Christmas – no tree mind you – but otherwise as good as an accused murder can expect." She then took another sip of her coffee and then handed it over to Brennan at the bitter taste. This is exactly what she had been wanting. She hadn't seen them in a real relationship in a long time. She wanted to see some sugar!

~BONES~

Booth was sitting at a table with Parker with Brennan right next to Booth as he told Parker, "Vermont is gonna be great, buddy. Snowboarding – just like when we went to Liberty."

Parker nodded as he mumbled, "Mom says it's better than Liberty."

Booth smiled as he said, "Well, she's right."

Parker was silent for a few seconds and then asked softly, "Can't you come?"

Booth hated this part. He would love to have Parks with him, but… "Parker."

Parker jumped in and tried something else, "If you tell mom that I don't wanna go, then we could spend Christmas together, like we always do."

Brennan looked at Booth a little sadly. Booth sighed as he looked at Brennan and hated this Christmas even more. "It's not gonna happen this year, buddy. When you get back, me, Bones, and you will have our own Christmas – just the three of us."

Parker folded his arms and said sullenly, "Without Captain Fantastic."

Booth tried to bite back his smile and said seriously, "You know, we shouldn't call Brent, Captain Fantastic anymore."

Parker scrunched his brow and asked, "Why? You do."

Booth smiled and told him, "Well, I won't anymore."

Parker laughed a little. "But it's funny."

Booth tried not to laugh. "No. It's disrespectful and if your mom likes someone, then we should respect that and like them too."

Brennan nearly choked on her water. "Is that true?"

Parker asked in shock, "You like Brent?"

Booth nodded slowly, "Yeah, I do..."

Brennan scoffed at that lie. "Wow."

Booth looked at Brennan in warning, "Bones!"

Parker as quietly, "Are you gonna be all alone at Christmas?"

Booth told him, "Me? Nah, I'm not gonna be alone. I'll be with Bones and all of our friends."

Brennan nodded at least at that truth, "We're going to Peru."

Booth smiled at Parks and said, "See, we're all going to Peru."

Parker asked in amazement, "You're having Christmas in Africa?"

Brennan started to correct him, "No, actually Peru is…"

Booth however cut her off as he said, "Is Africa. Isn't that right, Bones? Okay. I'm gonna be just fine so come on. Go wash up before your mom gets here to pick you up, alright? Come here, buddy."

Parker got up and hugged his dad as he told him, "I love you."

Brennan looked at Booth in disbelief as he hugged Parker back and told him, "I love you too buddy. Go ahead."

Brennan watched Parker walk to the bathroom and told Booth, "You lied A LOT to him."

Booth sighed. He didn't want to explain this to her again. So he lied to his son, it was to protect him. He dragged his hand across his face, "It's the magic of Christmas, Bones."

~BONES~

Brennan was in her office hanging a mistletoe when Booth arrived. "Bones. Pay Pass Check Cashing confirms cashing Moussa's paycheck. The teller gave him $900. All crisp new 50's."

Brennan put a string on the mistletoe as she said, "And Kringle had new $50's in his dresser."

Booth nodded, "Yup and the serial numbers match."

Brennan deduced, "Suggesting Kringle is our pick pocket."

Booth nodded as he watched his wife play with the mistletoe. "Mhm. So we're getting a warrant to analyze Moussa's clothing. If there's any Bird Soup goop on them, we'll know he's our killer..." He then couldn't help but to ask, "What is with the mistletoe?"

Brennan sighed nervously while getting down off the chair, "I was gonna talk to you about this. Caroline wants us to kiss under the mistletoe."

Booth didn't know whether to laugh or be shocked. He went somewhere in between, "What?"

Brennan looked at him with pleading eyes, "It's the only way she'll make Christmas for my family."

Booth still couldn't believe it – and this time he laughed, slightly, "What? By having us kiss?"

Brennan nodded her head, "Yes."

Booth still couldn't believe Caroline. "Why?"

Brennan shrugged, "Because she's feeling puckish."

Booth looked at her confused, "Puckish? What's that mean?"

Brennan rolled her eyes, "Listen, Booth! She's going to be here any second. Do you want some gum?"

Booth could have laughed at how his wife was acting, "No, my breath is just fine. Alright, look. I'll have a - talk with Caroline."

Brennan said, almost vehemently, "No."

Booth jumped back slightly in shock, "No?"

Brennan walked up to him and said, "I'm only telling you out of courtesy."

Booth looked at her even more confused, "What?"

Brennan explained, "So that you won't be surprised and freak out about us kissing so publicly at work."

Booth nodded, "Yeah. When you say kiss, you mean like kiss-kiss, like on both cheeks."

Brennan shook her head, "No, the lips. Pretend like we're brother and sister or just colleagues. French people meeting on the street. It's not like Caroline doesn't know about us anyways."

Booth did need a little something to bring up his mood that day. He started to smile slightly, "Caroline's feeling puckish, eh?"

Brennan smiled back and said, "It means playful and impish."

Caroline walked up to the two and said to Booth, "Congratulations. I hear you have a suspect in the Santa slaying."

Booth tried to hide his excitement over being able to finally kiss Bones in her office and not worried about being caught, "Yeah. Well, it looks like the Easter Bunny has nothing to worry about."

Brennan jumped right into it though, "Did you talk to the judge about the trailer?"

Caroline smiled slightly and said, "Yes, I did. What about your end?" Brennan pointed at the mistletoe. Caroline was ready to jump up and down in glee but reserved herself, "Well, look at that. Mistletoe. You take a step to your right and you'll be right under the cute little sprig."

Caroline watched them and raised an eyebrow, waiting for Brennan to follow through on her end of the deal. Booth incoherently tried to make it look like he was protesting but Brennan didn't give him much time before she leaned in and kissed him. She tried to make it as little contact as possible, but this was her and Booth. And nothing between them was just as little as possible. Soon everything faded away as she grabbed the lapels on his jacket.

Caroline continued watching them with a smile growing on her face. Now this is what she missed seeing between those two.

Booth completely forgot where he was and deepened the kiss by touching Bones' bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, asking for entrance. She immediately responded and the kiss lasted longer and became more passionate than she had expected. Booth deepened the kiss even more so being weaving his fingers into her hair. At the sound of a soft moan leaving Brennan's mouth, Booth slowed down their kiss and that's when Brennan pulled back. Both of them dazed by the kiss – wanting to do it again, in a much more private setting. Brennan tried to regain her composure while she said, "Was that enough steamboats?"

Caroline looked at the two and nodded slowly in shock at how much she saw. "Plenty. A whole flotilla."

Booth looked between the two of them as he tried to get control of his lower body again and said gruffly, "I don't know what that means, but, um, Merry Christmas."

Brennan looked behind Caroline in time just to see Angela standing in the background with her mouth agape. She added hastily with wide eyes, "It was like – kissing my brother."

Caroline followed her line of view – since she knew that it was nothing like kissing her brother – and then saw the artist. She smirked slightly as she added, "You sure must like your brother."

Booth too saw Angela and nodded his head. "She does."

Brennan rubbed a hand over her lips as she said again, "I do."

Booth cleared his throat, trying to rid some of the huskiness. "She does."

Caroline smiled at them as she told Brennan, "The trailers all arranged. You're good to go, cherie. Merry Christmas."

She left Booth and Brennan standing in the same place, not really able to look out the windows to see what Angela was doing. Brennan cleared her throat and said, "I think it's time to tell Angela now."

Booth nodded slowly, still not knowing what Angela was going to do. "Yeah." He however knew that it was best to get out of there to leave Brennan to explain it to her best friend. "Well, hey. I, um, I really should - I should get back and – see if, uh, the forensic guy has got – anything yet on Moussa's clothes…"

Brennan nodded as she started to walk toward her desk, "That's a good idea. Yeah, I got – stuff – to do too. Yeah."

Booth nodded again as he watched her sit down. "Yeah."

Brennan was so tongue-tied over what she was going to do about Angela that she stumbled out, "That - for – with bones."

Booth then realized that he had a piece of gum in his mouth, "I – I understand completely." He took the piece of gum out and joked to break some of the tension, "Thanks for the gum." As he placed it back in his mouth, he saw a smile grace her face.

Booth walked out of her office and saw Angela move in like a hawk to Brennan's office. That was going to be awkward.

Brennan knew immediately when Angela came in but tried to ignore her for the longest until Angela finally broke. "Did I see what I think I just saw?"

Brennan didn't look up as she acted obtuse, "I don't know what you think you saw since I can't read your mind Ange."

She huffed loudly, "You and stud-muffin making out under the mistletoe."

Brennan answered in her most neutral voice, "Booth and I did kiss yes. However, it was only because Caroline blackmailed me."

She heard a slight squeal and looked up to see Angela smiling widely at her. "How good was it?"

Brennan told her what she told Caroline, "It was like kissing my husband, but I was blackmailed and had to kiss him so my father could have his Christmas." Angela sent her a glare then her face changes. Brennan shrugged her shoulders smiling faintly, "What?" Angela said with a confused tone in her voice

"I was blackmailed and had to kiss him so my father could have his Christmas."

Amused a little but stayed serious "No, the other thing."

"Oh... It was like kissing my husband."

Angela narrowed her eyes before she said, "What, husband."

Brennan says innocently "Booth."

"Whaa...you and Booth…I want all the details." With that she sat down on Brennan's couch.

Brennan told Angela everything from the day they met to now. "Sooo...Why are you telling me now."

"It was time well everyone knows but Cam, Sweets, and the Bureau."

She furrowed her eyebrows "So Hodgins knows."

"I kind of told him when we were buried alive" she says whole looking at Angela trying to figure out what Angela was thinking."

"What is it like being married to the G-man" she says quickly.

"It's wonderful he loves me so much, and I just can't believe how lucky I am to have" and they talked for hours on end.

~BONES~

Brennan had just left the Jeffersonian when she texted Booth that she wanted to stay for Christmas after all. He texted her back that she had perfect timing. He explained to her that Parker had shown up and was probably going to be spending Christmas with them after all. He just needed to call Rebecca to tell her everything. Brennan smiled at that, hoping that they could have Parker, before she slipped her phone back in the pocket and headed toward her car.

~BONES~

Brennan answered her phone just as she took a sip of the drink her father gave her. It was disgusting. "Oh my god."

Booth asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Brennan ignored him and asked her dad with a grimace, "What is this?"

Max smiled as he told her, "Just a little good cheer I made under the mattress."

Brennan shook her head. "Ugh." She then remembered that she was on the phone, "Booth?"

Booth – having heard what Max said – smiled and said cheerfully, "Bones, hey! Good news. We got Parker for Christmas after all."

Brennan smiled. She was happy about that. She always loved having Parker over for Christmas. "Christmas magic, right?"

Booth laughed as he told her, "Hey, so we figured we call and uh, wish you a little, uh, Yuletide cheer."

He then brought the phone down to Parker's ear as Parker said, "Merry Christmas, Bones!"

Brennan smiled even wider as she heard his excitement. "Thanks, Parker!"

Max told Brennan, "Hey, if that's Booth you wish him Merry Christmas from me, will ya?"

Brennan nodded and then told her husband, "My dad says 'Merry Christmas'."

Booth chuckled a little at the image of his father-in-law wishing him Merry Christmas. "Hey, listen, Bones – uh – I got a little something for ya."

Brennan was surprised by that since they had already exchanged most of their gifts. But she had also gotten something else for him a few days ago. "Oh, I got you something too. We can, uh, exchange gifts we I get home."

Booth smiled as he looked at the tree and told her, "Go to the window and open up the blinds, now."

Brennan's brow furrowed as she stood up. "What?" She went to the window and opened the blinds. She saw Booth and Parker, standing by his car with a Christmas tree – all lit up. They waved at her and she waved back as she called out to her family, "Hey! Everybody, it looks like we got our tree, after all."

She heard Emma and Hayley gush over the tree as Parker yelled, "Merry Christmas!"

Brennan smiled at her husband and whispered into the phone, "I love my gift, Booth."

Booth smiled back at her as he told her with a happy voice, "Merry Christmas, Bones." And a merry one it was.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope you liked the little part with Angela I may have messed it up please tell me if I did.**_

 _ **Review**_


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – The Man in the Mud**

Brennan and Booth were in their session with Sweets, talking not about their partnership but their case. Brennan told him, "We're not sure about time of death yet."

Booth added, "It was definitely a murder."

Sweets for his part could not look more bored. He kept moving around in his chair, willing himself not to fall asleep. He tried to stifle a yawn as Brennan nodded in agreement with Booth's statement. "Definitely. Probably by two assailants."

Booth chuckled slightly as he said, "What a shock for that couple, huh? You know, they slide naked, into the hot mud bath...and a skeleton hand pokes her in the, you know."

Brennan saw that he wasn't going to finish his statement, so she finished it for him amused, "Anus."

Booth wasn't shocked per se but he was slightly thrown by her using it. "Bones."

Brennan would have laughed at his exclamation, but instead told him, "What? It's a clinical term for that part of the body, Booth."

Sweets couldn't take it anymore and shook his head as he stopped any further talk. "Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth. Would it be fair to say that you use work to avoid confronting personal issues?"

Booth was starting to get uncomfortable with having this conversation in front of Sweets. "Oh, what, because I don't want to talk about..."

Brennan didn't understand why Booth was so…censored in front of people. Because he wasn't like that at home. Although he didn't use the clinical terms. However she could help but supply, "The anus."

Booth shot her a look as he said, "You really like that word, don't you?"

Sweets sighed internally. He was going nowhere fast with these two. "Do you two ever discuss anything that's not attached to work?"

Booth shrugged as he didn't really answer the question, "Well, it's better than talking about, ya know..."

Sweets supplied this time, "The anus?"

Really, Booth didn't get it. Why did these two just want to talk about that! "What is it with you two?"

Brennan pursed her lips as she thought about what Sweets' had said. Maybe if he saw that they could still work together even with an outside relationship – not physical mind you – maybe then the FBI wouldn't have so much of an issue with their marriage. That is of course, after Booth caught the man that made them hide their marriage in the first place. "Well, Sweets could be right; I mean, we talk a lot about work." She mentally added to herself, here.

Booth looked at his wife skeptically, but saw her communicating silently to go along with her. He decided to put in something that they talked openly about, "I talk about my kid."

Sweets took that one out immediately, "Because he was almost kidnapped during a case."

Brennan liked what Booth was trying to do and tried it herself. "Ah, my father. We talk a lot about him."

Sweets shot that one down flat, "Because Agent Booth arrested him for murder."

Booth and Brennan looked at each for a second before Booth looked back at Sweets and gave up trying to do whatever Brennan had been planning. "Okay, what are you trying to get at here?"

Sweets said exasperatedly, "Your inability to share your personal lives. I thought that was obvious."

Booth narrowed his eyes as he told Sweets – slightly in a deadly tone, "Okay, that was snotty. I don't respond well to snotty."

Brennan placed a soothing hand on his arm as she tried to diffuse the situation. "After a case, sometimes, we have a drink, or coffee, Booth has pie. I don't...like pie."

Booth still didn't get that. He had never seen her once in their whole relationship even eat it. "You really should just give it a chance."

Brennan shrugged, "I find it too sweet."

Booth smiled at Sweets as he tried to get out of whatever he knew the kid was thinking. "Okay, there. We talked about pie. Nothin' to do with work."

Brennan had been thinking about their conversations. And while it was true that they talked about other things, they did discuss their work more so than anything else. Well, except when they had Parker or were having sex or well, maybe it was about even. "It…is better when we discuss murder."

Sweets watched as Booth nodded his head in agreement. He didn't care what the two thought about what he was going to say next. "I'd like to see you guys in a social situation. A situation where work is a taboo subject."

Booth joked, "What, are you gonna send us to a restaurant and watch us through a one-way mirror?"

Brennan couldn't help but clarify, "I'm still not having pie." She really didn't like pie, at all.

Sweets said nonchalantly, "No, an evening out with my girlfriend and me."

Booth laughed at that absurd idea and joked to Brennan, "They need someone to buy them beer."

Brennan wasn't sure if she understood what the boy was saying. Because what it sounded like couldn't be right. Right? "You want us to go on a double date?"

Booth panicked a little at that thought. Because if they were going to go on a date, then that might me that one of them might slip up and that was not a good thing. "Why don't you go on the internet like all the rest of the kids?"

Sweets offered, "Okay, if it goes well, I'll withdraw my concern. I'll release you back into your environment."

Booth was still not okay with this. "What are we, brook trout?"

Brennan thought about it for a few seconds before she smiled as she thought of something. This could definitely be a way for Sweets to see that they were perfectly fine working together even with an outside relationship. "Fine."

Booth sighed heavily as Sweets smiled at Brennan. He didn't like the sound of this. Sweets said a little smugly, "Agent Booth? Unless, you think that's too much to prove."

Booth looked at him funnily before he sighed and gave in. "Fine. I'll show 'em I have nothing to prove. Bring it on, Sweets. "

~BONES~

Brennan was riding up to Booth's office with him, in the elevator as she answered Sweets' question on the cell phone. "Yes. Okay, Dr. Sweets, yeah, I'll ask him." She then turned to Booth and asked, "How's Wednesday night, are you free?"

Booth scrunched his face in a look of pain as he said, "Oh, what, to have our big double date with our psychiatrist?"

They stepped out of the elevator as Brennan told him her thoughts finally. "Just one more evening, and maybe we won't have to see him anymore."

Booth told her, a little sarcastically, "Fine. Wednesday's FINE, I can't wait, does he want me to get you a corsage?"

Brennan rolled her eyes slightly at her husband's attitude. "Wednesday's fine. We'll meet you there. Yeah, I'm looking forward to meeting her." Booth pushed opened his office door as she finished her conversation with him, "Okay. Bye." She then told Booth, slightly excited, "This might be fun. His girlfriend works with tropical fish."

Booth still didn't get it. "Tropical fish?"

Brennan smiled at him. "Yeah."

Booth sighed. He could see how much his wife was looking forward to this. And he wasn't going to disappoint her by figuring out a way to get out of it. He said resignedly, "This is just weird. Where are we meeting?"

Brennan told him, "At their ceramics class."

Booth wanted to hang his head in despair at that idea. "What? No, you're kidding."

Brennan was very confused by that question. "Why would I be kidding? He said it would be a good idea to have a common activity."

Booth couldn't even stand that idea. "Ceramics? I thought the whole point of therapy was to give us peace of mind, not drive us crazy." He then noticed that Angela was trying to video chat with them. Thank goodness they had their case to distract him for a bit

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were back in Sweets office. Booth looked less than happy to be visiting again. Brennan started to say something, but then decided against it. The awkward silence continued until finally Booth broke down. "I hate when you do this."

Sweets asked innocently, "Do what?"

Booth gave him a look. "You don't talk."

Sweets almost laughed at that. "Sometimes you hate when I talk, so it's a double-edged sword."

Booth began to state, but then made sure to ask as he said, "Bones doesn't mind sitting in silence, do ya?"

Brennan shook her head, "Mm-mmm."

Booth pointed to himself as he said, "I hate it."

Sweets raised a brow and asked, "Why do you think that is?"

Brennan answered immediately, since she knew him so well. 'He gets bored."

Booth nodded, "You're right, I do. I get bored."

Brennan smiled as she thought about something amusing. "You should see him on stakeouts; he talks and talks and…" Booth gave her a pointed look. She stopped and told him, "Well, it's very interesting!"

Sweets as the million dollar question. "Is it always about work?"

Brennan thought about it. The last time it had been. Of course the last time had been when Booth might have gotten into a fight with someone at work in the locker room. Which might have been because said person made a passing joke about his wife's "rack". Which led to an argument about Booth being overly-protective of her. People were going to talk about her figure and he couldn't snap each time someone did, especially if they didn't want to reveal something. "Mmm...no."

Sweets cocked his head as he looked at her. "You're lying!"

Booth scoffed. "Aw, c'mon. How do you know that?"

Sweets answered honestly, "I have special training in how to tell when people are lying."

Brennan asked skeptically, "Is that true?"

Sweets smiled at her. "See, if you were me, you'd know." Brennan narrowed her eyes at him as Booth just stared unimpressed. Sweet sighed as he explained, "You're lying to protect your partner. I understand that. But let's agree amongst ourselves, that this is a truth zone." Booth groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose at that. He did not want to be there. Sweets saw that and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

He sighed as he said slowly, "It's this whole…going on a date thing."

Brennan and Sweets said at the same time, "No, it's not a date!" Of course, Brennan said it to alleviate any worries about slipping up and Sweets said it to alleviate any tension that might come from them confronting their 'unknown' feelings for each other.

Sweets went on, "It's a social outing for the purpose of professional evaluation."

Booth still didn't like where they were going. He stood up as he exclaimed, "Come on. Ceramics? I'm not that kind of a guy, alright? What do you say we go, y'know, bowling or to a firing range or climbing a wall?" He would really like to see Brennan's ass above him in a tight pair of her yoga pants.

Sweets jumped on that. "Oh, right. Something you're good at."

Booth ignored him as he offered, "A movie! Or dinner. Dinner and a movie. Somewhere that I don't have to make something."

Brennan exhaled loudly at his wording, "Oooohhh..."

Booth looked at her confused, "What? What oooh?"

Brennan explained as Booth sat down again, "Well, what Sweets would do in this situation is he'd jump on word usage. He's going to ask you why you're resistant to making."

Sweets didn't like her word usage either. "I JUMP on the semantics? That's a really aggressive turn of phrase."

Booth smiled as he leaned back in the chair, "Ha. Thanks for pulling focus, there, Bones." Sweets started to shake his head as Booth looked at him and joked, "Pulling. Is that an aggressive word too?"

Sweets couldn't believe that these two were ganging up on him. "Okay, what, did you two plan this?"

Booth began to joke again, "Paranoia. That is paranoia."

Brennan decided to join in on the fun and said seriously, "Since this is a truth zone, I will tell you the truth. We didn't plan anything."

Sweets looked at her through narrowed eyes. "You're telling the truth."

Booth joked, "He's guessing, Bones."

Sweets decided he was going to get in the last word. For once. "We're going to a ceramics class, and we're all going to MAKE something. Time's up."

~BONES~

Brennan, Booth, Sweets, and his girlfriend, April Presa, were doing ceramics. Brennan smiled as the pot she was had begun to make took shape. She looked at Booth and said, "I'm enjoying this. The last time I threw pots I was in Colombia with the Auroco Indians."

Booth smiled at that. He remembered that trip. Her first trip away when they were married. Which also was his first bout of celibacy in return. Let's just say that when she returned, he didn't let her leave the whole weekend. Booth snorted though as he looked down at what he was doing, "Last time I did something like this, I was in nursery school."

April laughed with Sweets before she said, "Well, we love it. Don't we, Lance?"

Sweets smiled, a little forcedly as he said, "Yes."

Booth mumbled, "Well, I love my work, but I'm not going to talk about that right now, even though we think a paraplegic killed Tripp Goddard."

April was immediately intrigued by that. "That sounds fascinating."

Sweets warned, "April."

April smiled sheepishly and giggled, "Oopsie!"

Brennan decided that a subject change was needed. "Dr. Sweets says that you work with tropical fish."

April smiled as she said, "Yes, I love fish. They're just like people."

Brennan took that a little too literally. "No, no they're not, actually. People can't breathe underwater."

April thought that she was joking and said, "She's funny."

Booth laughed at that and Brennan looked at him slightly confused. "I am? What? Why is that funny?"

Booth smiled at her as he said amused, "I don't think she meant that literally, Bones."

Brennan frowned slightly at that. "Oh."

April started to explain what she meant at first, "It's their eyes. You can tell so much from eyes."

Brennan, again, took that literally. She agreed, "The retinal scan is as specific as a fingerprint."

April tried to explain again. "No, no. Their souls. You can see their little souls."

Brennan looked at Booth as she tried to understand her. "I don't understand. You believe that fish have souls?"

April nodded, "Yes. You can see it in their coloring; it's a reflection of who they are."

Brennan was still confused, "Their coloring has developed over millennia as a way to deal with predators."

Sweets tried to explain it to Booth and Brennan, "April just means they're beautiful."

April almost snapped, "Don't tell me what I mean, Lance. I mean they have souls."

Sweets laughed nervously before he said, "Ah, okay."

Booth finally began to see what he was making. He proudly spread his arms to reveal his in-progress horse. "Hey, look what I'm makin'!"

Brennan looked at it with shock. She never knew he could do this! "You've done this before."

Booth began to work again and said modestly, "Nah..."

Brennan nodded and said earnestly, "You have."

Booth smiled at her and asked happily, "You really think that's good?"

Brennan nodded again as she said – with pride in her voice, "Yes, very."

Sweets tried to get on his girlfriend's good side again. "Yours is good too, April."

April glared at him. "I'm not talking to you." Sweets laughed nervously as he looked at anxiously around. April snapped a little, "You think that's funny."

Brennan whispered to Booth, "Are they fighting?"

Booth had been watching with wide eyes, but then snapped out of it and whispered back, "Just focus on your pot there."

Sweets tried to diffuse whatever was going on between him and April. "I'm with patients, April."

Booth shook his head as he continued to work on his horse. "Nope, no patients tonight. Just us people makin' pots."

April wasn't going to let it go though. "You can't apologize for me, Lance."

Sweets sighed and asked, "Can we please just move on?"

April shook her head. "No. It just…" She then turned to Brennan, "I meant that, I believe that all creatures, people, fish, dogs, we're all connected. We all share the same stuff that makes life so beautiful and precious."

Brennan nodded, "On a quantum level, that's true, although the word stuff is not accurate."

April smiled sweetly at Brennan then turned a snide smile to Sweets, "See?"

Sweets defended himself, "What? I have great respect for your fish. Admittedly, I might relate to other things more."

April let out her other frustrations as she told the group, "He kills about a thousand people a night."

Sweets was beginning to regret this idea. "Yeah, in a video game, April. They're not real."

Booth looked up and saw that Sweets' pot had begun to lean. "Hey, Sweets, your thing there's droopy." Sweets looked at it then April and sighed in dismay. Booth however for his part had just finished his 'ceramic' and smiled as he lifted it up for display, "Look at my horse!"

April was very impressed. "Wow."

Sweets was stunned, to say the least. "That's amazing, Agent Booth."

Booth started to make galloping sounds as Brennan looked at his work. "Very impressive."

Booth picked a stray piece of clay off the back of the horse as he said, "Yes, it is." He then flicked it at Brennan, but misaimed and it accidently hit her above her breast. She gasped and Booth apologized immediately, "Bones, I'm sorry." Brennan, for her part, was having none of it and she retaliated in like form by grabbing some of her clay and flung it back at Booth. He dodged as he grabbed another piece of clay. "Ooh! Jeez!" Booth threw back a lump of clay but it destroyed the top part of Brennan's pot. She pouted at him as she watched it go around. Booth kept at it though as he and Brennan continued to through clay at each other, "Hey, Sweets, I apologize. This whole ceramics thing is great!"

Sweets broke off a piece of clay and lightly tossed it at April, thinking she would join in playfully. She, in turn however, grabbed a handful of slip and threw it in Sweet's face, even getting some on his teeth. Sweets tried to play it off with a nonchalant laugh. "Yeah, this is fun."

Brennan and Booth looked at each other and grimaced. She then turned to look at Sweets, knowing that he was going to be in the metaphorical 'dog house' tonight.

~BONES~

Booth shut the door behind him as Brennan placed her messenger bag by the table. He tossed his keys onto the same table before Brennan finally said, "April seemed very angry."

Booth wrapped his arms around her waist as he shook his head. "No talking about them tonight." He then started to kiss her neck lightly as he whispered gruffly, "Let's just focus on you and me."

Brennan laughed huskily as he led her to their room. She could do that. Definitely.

~BONES~

Booth had just finished listening to Brennan's observations about last night's events. She was right about April though. She had been pissed. "I tell you one thing, Sweets didn't get any last night."

Brennan shook her head. "They're too young to be in a serious relationship. In agrarian societies, young couplings made sense; the partnership was for survival, but today..."

Booth told her, "You know, you can play the field and not plow it."

Brennan looked at him with a slight narrowing of her eyes. "That was distasteful."

Booth shrugged, "What?"

Brennan looked away from him as she told Booth, "I like April, though."

Booth wasn't agreeing with her on this one. "She talks to fish, okay? I'm with Sweets on this one."

Brennan gave him a look, but thankfully he was saved from having been lectured by her when her cell phone rang.

~BONES~

Brennan brought Booth his cup of coffee as she told him, "I'm okay with what you did there."

Booth sighed as he said, "Mmm...yeah, thanks a million, Bones."

Brennan tried to explain, "Don't get mad; I'm just saying that, I just like it better when we catch 'em, and they go to jail."

Booth knew what she meant and he didn't like it either. "Yeah, well, sometimes it can get messy, Bones, but the point is, it gets done."

Brennan sighed herself as she said, "This one started out in a pit of mud and ended in a pit of mud."

Booth laughed a little. She amazed him sometimes. "That's very damned poetic of you."

Sweets then walked up to them looking forlorn. "Oh, hey guys. I didn't know you'd be here."

Booth felt bad for the guy. "Whaddya think, Bones?"

Brennan knew immediately what he was talking about. "He's lying." She then turned to Sweets, "Do you wanna sit down?"

Sweets shook his head, "Not really."

Booth snorted, "Lying again."

Brennan gestured with her head to join them. "C'mon. Sit down."

Sweets didn't give any fight as he nodded and said, "Okay."

Booth knew that look on the boy's face. "April dump you?"

Brennan was surprised that he guessed that. "How did you know that?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders, "He's got that 'dump-ee' look on his face."

Sweets sighed heavily, "I'm a trained psychologist. I mean, I saw this coming; it's not like the signs eluded me. So I prepared myself mentally for it, and…"

Booth knew exactly what the kid needed. "Hey, Sweets...Bones and I, we're going bowling tonight."

Brennan knew that they weren't but decided to play along, knowing that their…friend needed it. "Yes, yes, bowling. You know what, you wanna come? To go bowling with us at the bowling rink?"

Booth corrected, "Alley."

Brennan corrected herself, "Bowling alley. The bowling alley."

Sweets moped, "You know, fish aren't actually sentient. There's a reason people say 'cold as a fish.'" Booth and Brennan nod sympathetically as he went on, "Me? I'm a dog person. I think that has meaning. Don't you?"

Brennan nodded again, "Sure..."

Sweets asked in his lost boy voice, "Do you think April was pretty?"

Brennan looked at Booth for help on that one. She had no clue what to tell him. Booth shook his head no and Brennan tried to lie. "Not at all."

Sweets laughed a little at that. "You're lying, Dr. Brennan. I appreciate the effort; thank you."

Booth grabbed the back of Sweets' chair and said, "Come on, Sweets, whaddya say we go bowling?" He then started to drag him away in the rolling chair as he told Bones, "I got him, c'mon!"

Sweets shook his head dejectedly, "Nah, that's alright..."

Brennan watched with a smile as Booth pulled Sweets away and he said, "C'mon!" She got up to follow them, amazed that Booth knew exactly what to do – yet again – for one of their friends. She loved that about him. Always taking care of others.

* * *

 **A/N: Do you know how easy it is to tell Sweets, but I didn't because want to drag this out.**

 **Please Review**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys I have an Instagram: bones_castle447 go check it out**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the show but I do own this book.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 – Player Under Pressure**

Brennan and Booth exited the SUV and started to walk toward the gymnasium when Brennan noticed all the students on campus. "Wow. I guess there's life on this campus after all."

Booth looked at her confused. "Oh what? You've been here before?"

Brennan nodded as she looked at Booth a little concerned. She wondered why he didn't remember that. He never really forgot things in the past. "I guest lectured last year, remember? Forensic science majors. Four students showed up. Just four!"

Booth tried to remember her mentioning that. He decided to ask her one more thing to job his memory, "Four? What was your topic?"

Brennan told him as if it were obvious, "Dimorphic distinctions within the human thoracic cavity."

Booth snorted at that. He didn't even think he would go to a lecture like that. "Boy and just four whole people showed up, huh?"

Brennan gave him a narrowed eyed look before she huffed and told him – again, "The dean blamed it on some game halfway across the country."

Booth could see that she had been upset by the lack of interest in her topic and tried to tell her gently, "C'mon, this is Atlantic State University, home of the Jaguars. Okay, other than sex and beer, nothing is more important to these kids than their basketball team."

Brennan furrowed her brow, "What about academics?"

Booth couldn't help to joke with her as he placed his hand on her lower back and held the door open for her. "Tell you what, you bring your little, uh, didactic thoracic, uh, speech here any other time of the year and, uh, you'll draw maybe five, five and a half easy."

Brennan glared at him fully as she pasted him, "Dimorphic, not didactic."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were back in the gymnasium waiting for Colby's class to end. Booth was holding a basketball and was showing his wife the proper former as he said, "I can give you a few pointers, Bones. Colby doesn't get out of class for a few minutes. You've gotta sort of flip your wrist you see, like this?" He demonstrated it and then took his shot. He, of course, made it.

She watched with slightly admiration of his physique, but her ire won over the battle as she told him, "Sports should not have such a priority in the University."

Booth retrieved the ball from the floor as he looked at her in slight aggravation. "Alright, you know what? That's crazy."

Brennan shook her as she told him honestly, "No, anthropologically speaking, sports are a way for boys to practice their battle skills."

Booth tried to ignore what she was saying because he knew if he really listened he would become very angry. "Yeah, okay, so you want to just focus straight up, get up on your toes and just…"

Brennan continued on in her (soon to be enraged) rant unthinkingly, "The truth is athletes are basically emotionally arrested in boyhood, acting out childish games as if they have adult importance. The only thing more juvenile, are grown adults who watch sports."

Booth finally couldn't it any more. "Why do you gotta say stuff like that?"

Brennan furrowed her brows, "What? You mean the truth?"

Booth rounded on her as he almost yelled, "Alright. You know what? I'm a jock. So when you say those, you know, things that you say, what are you saying about me?

Brennan immediately saw where her little rant led her. Into uncharted territory that was most definitely going to lead to a fight. "Nothing. You grew out of it."

Booth shook his head in anger. "No, I didn't, alright? My shoulder crapped out on me. Otherwise, I would have gone all the way with it." He set the basketball down at Brennan's feet and feigned shooting a basket before walking away.

Brennan watched as he stormed out and called, "What?"

Booth yelled at her right before he left, "You know what, and another thing, alright? I, uh, I fought in a war! So, if sports is a, uh, childish substitute? I can live with that." Brennan turned toward the basket, sighed and then picked up the ball. She looked at it wondering what the big draw was. She knew that she was going to have figure out what to do about Booth but the reaction she had to holding the ball was odd. She actually wanted to try and make a 'basket'. She did exactly what Booth had said to do and grinned as she made it. She turned to look at the door that Booth had exited out of and then sort of understood Booth's love for the sport.

Brennan ran out the gymnasium to find that Booth had been waiting outside for her. Booth saw Colby as they started walk away from the door. "Ahhh. Yo, Colby!"

Brennan caught up with Booth and raised a brow at his attempt to get the boys attention. "Yo?"

Booth snapped back, "Yeah, yo. You know, I'm a little irritated with you. Just leave me alone long enough so I…"

Brennan was a little thrown that he would admit it openly. He always tried to cool off from something she said unthinkingly before they confronted each other. "What?"

Booth finished as if she didn't say anything. "…can get over it?"

Brennan wanted to know what she could do to apologize but first she needed to figure out what she needed to apologize for exactly. "Why are you irritated?"

Booth glared at her, "Why? Because I love sports. I watch sports. You know, I'm all about sports. You know that!" Brennan did know that and now she needed to see what she could do to fix this. She was trying to think of something as Booth flashed his badge at the couple.

~BONES~

Brennan and Booth walked quickly down an aisle looking for Edward Dekker in the men's locker room. Booth himself thought that she didn't need to be there with him. He knew how these guys were and he also knew what his wife looked like. "Wait outside, Bones, c'mon."

Brennan thought that he was telling her that because he didn't want to be around her. She asked quietly, "Are you still angry at me for saying that athletes are emotionally stunted?"

Booth heard a student call out, 'Hey baby, I know you want some…' before he answered, "Of course not." He just didn't want her to get hit on by these hormone-driving players. And he just knew that Eddie was going to be exhibit A. This case was not turning out to be what he had hoped for.

~BONES~

Cutler was sitting on the bleachers when Booth and Brennan came into the gymnasium. Booth immediately felt his gut clench. He whispered to Brennan, "Just a moment." He motioned for her to stay in her spot as he continued to walk forward and called out, "Hey, Chief."

Cutler shook his head in dismay, "If I hadn't of spat on that son of a bitch, you never would have caught me, right?"

Brennan of course had not listened to Booth, he thought angrily, as she said from behind him, "Well, Celeste might have told us."

Cutler shook his head as he told them, trying not to cry, "She doesn't know. I came in and saw my little girl, saw her with R.J. …doing what she was doing. She heard me and took off. None of the girls could resist R.J. Kid had it all. Magic boy. You know what else he had? The clap. And he knew that when he took my daughter underneath the blea…" He couldn't take it anymore and broke down and pulled out his gun.

Booth took a step in front of his wife as a shield and pulled his own gun, "No. He's got a gun, Bones. I need you to leave now."

Cutler shook his head again and told him seriously, "Don't worry, it's not you I intend to shoot." He then sighed and pointed to gun to his head.

Booth yelled at him, "There's no way Cutter Cutler kills himself. No way Cutter Cutler goes down without a fight."

Brennan asked Booth quietly in confusion, "What are you doing? Do you want him to shoot at you?"

Booth shot her a look as he told her, "Go."

Booth sighed in relief as he watched her walk away from them. But his attention was drawn back to Cutler as he said, "I was just like him, you know? Under these same bleachers, in fact. I was as bad as him. You wouldn't understand." He lowered the gun, holding it against his chest in anguish.

Booth tried to reason with him, "We were all like that."

Cutler still couldn't believe what his little girl had done, "It changes your life view, you see your little girl. It's a different perspective."

Booth told him quietly, "People are gonna understand the action that you took, okay? I do. Man, you're Cutter Cutler. Lowest assist and turnover ratios. Twelve triple doubles in your last season. Nobody could change direction in the open court like you, man, nobody." He watched as Cutler pointed the gun back to his head. "No, do it now. Change direction again."

Cutler slid the gun back to his chest as he told Booth regretfully, "Cutter Cutler died a long time ago. I'm just putting him away."

Booth raised his gun at the same time Cutler put it to his head again. Brennan however had been listening to the whole conversation from the side of the bleachers. She ran forward and reached her hand up to stop him. Cutler cocked the hammer back and went to pull the trigger, but the web of Brennan's hand slipped between the hammer and the firing pin, pinching the skin in progress. She gasped in pain as she took the gun from Cutler, which was still pinched to her hand. She removed it slowly, revealing an open wound. "Ow!"

Booth sighed in relief both for Cutler and Brennan. "Alright."

~BONES~

Brennan and Booth were sitting at a table by the window at the Royal Diner. They had been discussing the case over their meal, but Booth changed the subject as he asked, "Your hand hurt?"

Brennan looked down at her hand and then nodded, "A little."

Booth sighed a little after she said that, remembering how this case ended. "So, jock mentality…teams…not all bad, huh?"

Brennan looked up at him a little confused. She thought that she had already told him what she thought. "Why are you telling me this?"

Booth shrugged a little uncomfortably. He knew deep down that she didn't think of him like that, but still. "You just said we're all stunted adolescents who take children's games too seriously."

Brennan leaned forward and told him seriously, "I never meant you."

Booth gave her a look as he said, "Bones…"

Brennan didn't understand that look. It was as if he thought she was lying. "What?"

He pointed out, "Bones, I'm one of those guys."

Brennan shook her head as she grabbed his hand, "No, you aren't. You don't play at being a warrior. You are a warrior. Every day. You're definitely… a fully developed man." She smiled affectionately at him then.

Booth smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. "Okay, okay." He threw down the money for their bill, "You leave the tip."

Brennan smiled at that. It had been one of their many debates while going out. So each time they went out one paid the bill and one paid the tip. She then finally spoke what she had been thinking ever since they left the gymnasium. "Even Cutler knew you were lying when you said you treated women like that beneath the bleachers."

Booth snorted a little at that. "Oh, and you believe him?"

Brennan nodded her head. "Yes, because you still remember that first girl's name." She sucked down the last of her milkshake and Booth took another drink of his, leaving a milkshake mustache. She got up and said, "Let's go." She started to motion to his lip a few times before she stopped and then walked up to him and kissed him squarely on the lips and licked it off. As she leaned away Booth smiled at her as he took her hand in his and guided them to their car.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry I haven't been posting in a while it's just with school and after school things I don't have enough time to do anything.**

 **P.S. I'm sorry this chapter is short I was rushing**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – The Baby in the Bough**

Booth was driving his SUV to the crime scene, with Brennan sitting next to him. They had just been driving home when Booth had gotten the call. Brennan had wanted to talk with Booth over dinner of an important matter that her accountant had mentioned. However, since it appeared that wasn't going to be able to happen, Brennan decided to mention it now. "What do you know about the Cayman Islands? "

Booth thought about it for a few seconds before he told her. "Great diving, you know? Lots of sea turtles." He knew that she hadn't gotten an offer to go on an excavation in a while. The last one being over three years ago. Maybe this was her way of mentioning it. "Why? Are you going?"

Brennan shook her head. "No." She paused, trying to think of a way to tell him of her plans. She decided to be straight forward. "My accountant wants me to set up a tax shelter there."

That gave him a start. He knew that they were well-off, but to be able to do that and still not worry about money. "Tax shelter? Exactly how loaded are we?"

Brennan noted that Booth used the term 'we' and not 'you'. Which was quite a step up from when they first got married. She knew that he still wanted to split half the costs on the major items in their home, but he had come around to the idea of her making more money than him. Brennan couldn't help but respond a little indignantly, "That is an offensive way to phrase the question." She then paused before she smiled slightly at him as she mumbled, "Quite loaded. I'm betting on a seven figure advance for my next book."

Booth hadn't been expecting that. "Seven figures. Wow. With…without the decimal point?"

Brennan said defensively, "The publishers make considerably more."

Booth still couldn't believe it. "What's the first of those seven figures?"

Brennan told him primly, "A prime number. What did you used to do with your money?"

Booth snorted as he said, "I used it for food and rent."

~BONES~

Officer Delpy still didn't believe the boys luck. "There's not even a scratch on the boy. It's a miracle."

Brennan scoffed at that, "Well, hardly! Car-seats are specifically engineered to protect the child."

Booth snorted softly, "From what? Flying out the back of a car and landing in a tree?" Booth saw that the baby was getting fussy. "Oh, look at him, Bones. He looks a little fussy there. Why don't you pick him up and give him a cuddle?"

Brennan didn't like how Booth said that. She narrowed her eyes as she told him, "What? Just because I have breasts doesn't mean that I have magical powers over infants. You're the one with the son."

Booth rolled his eyes heavenward. He knew that Brennan was great with…Parker. Of course, he hadn't really seen her interact with other children, but he knew that she could do it if she put her mind to it. Just like she had done the one time that he had to leave Parker with her that one afternoon to go to a fresh crime scene when they first started dating. But he also knew how uncomfortable she got around them, at first. "All right, fine. I'll take him. Here you go." He handed her the diaper bag before he grabbed the baby. "You have fun with the diaper bag. You look good. Come on, little man! Whoa-ho. Hi! Why don't you say hi to your grumpy old Auntie Bones."

Brennan said indignantly, "No! I am not grumpy!" She then turned to the sheriff and informed him, "The vinyl seat melted and fused to the body so we need that brought back to the Jeffersonian. And the driver's door for particulate evidence."

The sheriff nodded his before he sniffed the air and said, "The kid smells a little ripe. Might want to take care of that."

Booth sniffed a little as well and sure enough smelled that the little man needed a change. He sighed as he watched Delpy walk away, "Yeah. Okay, Bones, I'm gonna have to change him. Just hold on to him here. Here you go. Here you go. Okay? Got him?"

He handed the baby off to Brennan as she tried to protest. "What? Oh! Woah! Arrrgh."

Booth started to take off his suit jacket and lay it down on the back of the fire truck as he told Brennan, " kay. Here we go. We'll work together on this one. Changin' Diapers 101." Brennan gave the baby back to Booth. "Here we go. Here we go, little big man. Okay. watch your…" He cradled the baby's head in his hand as he gently laid him down on his jacket, "Here. Right here. Look at that. All right. Get me a diaper there, Bones."

Brennan looked through the diaper bag. "Right. There you go."

Booth smiled at her, remembering when they did this with Parker. Even back then she had an aversion for changing diapers. "Thanks. Baby powder."

Brennan sighed as she started looking through the bag again. "You know, Booth, I have better things to do with my time. There's no powder."

Booth looked at her and repeated, "No powder?"

Brennan nodded her head as she continued to look through the bag, "Yeah. Hey. Wait a minute." She pulled a key from the bag and showed it to him.

Booth looked at it closely while he asked, 'Where'd that come from?"

Brennan told him, "There's a rip in the lining of the bag. Seems like someone was trying to hide it."

Booth nodded his head as he said, "Okay. I'll get an evidence bag and I'll ask EMT if they have any baby powder. Just watch him."

Brennan watched him jog away and yelled out, "Wait. Wait. Wait! Booth. There's a baby! I don't feel comforta…" But it was pointless. The baby made a gurgling sound and Brennan looked down at him, trying to remember what she did with Parker when he was a baby. "Coochie-coo?" That did not work though. The baby actually started to cry. "Oh! No no! No need to fuss! Obviously something is upsetting you. Children have toys; you must have some. Let me see." She rummaged in the bag and retrieved a purple stuffed elephant. "You know, elephants are not purple. This is wrong." The baby kept on crying though causing her to sigh. She had turned back to look for something else for the baby when Booth came up to them again. She looked back at the baby and noticed, "Hey, look at that: he flipped over!"

Booth rushed over to the baby and turned him on his back again. "Bones! That's because you gotta watch him. Jeez. Woah. Okay, look, little big man. If you're gonna be in my jacket, we gotta get you out of that diaper. Woah. Okay, where's the key?"

Brennan pointed to where she placed it. "I put it on your jacket."

Booth couldn't believe her! "Next to the baby?"

Brennan nodded her head in confusion, "Yeah."

He exclaimed, "Are you crazy? You know that babies put everything in their mouth, Bones! He could have swallowed the key! It's so dangerous. All right. Okay." He picked up the baby whilst Brennan looked for the key. Booth tried to soothe the baby as he rocked him back and forth, "Shh shh shh shh. The key, Bones. Look for the key."

Brennan shook her head as she looked up at him, "It's not here. Oh, no. He must've..." They said it at the same time, "Swallowed it."

Booth looked at the baby and then back at her as he started to cry again. "Okay." He handed the baby to Brennan. "Here you go. Get used to him."

That confused her a lot. "What do you mean?"

Booth grimaced slightly as he thought of the nights to come. "That key was evidence. You know how chain of custody works. That kid stays with us until we get the key back."

Brennan looked at the baby she was holding and then he started to pee on her. "Ohhhh. Ahhh."

Booth took the still-peeing baby from her as he looked down at her pants. "Wooh. That's a stream."

~BONES~

After having called in DCFS, setting all matters straight with the baby, and setting up Parker's old crib – the couple sat on the floor exhausted. Thankfully, at Russ' insistence, they were both registered foster parents. That didn't mean that they had expected to take any child, no less, a baby in anytime soon. Brennan leaned her head against Booth's shoulder and yawned. "I'm so tired."

Booth chuckled softly as he rested his head against the top of hers. "Welcome to parenthood, Bones."

Brennan sighed as she told him, "I don't remember it being like this with Parker. He never cried as much."

Booth snorted. "That's because he had just got passed the crying stage to regular sleeping stage when we started dating. The first few months, when I had him, I didn't sleep at all. There was this one time when I…" But then Booth heard her soft snores, telling him she fell asleep. He smiled down at her before he gently scooped her up in his arms and carried her silently to their bed. He placed her down on the bed before he went back to their guest room – where the crib was set up – and said goodnight to the little man, took the baby monitor, and turned off the lights before heading back to his room.

Booth placed the baby monitor on the nightstand before he himself slipped under the covers, wrapping his arm his wife's waist – bringing her back flush against his chest – and fell asleep as well.

~BONES~

Brennan and Booth were walking around the Medico-Legal Lab Floor as he told her jokingly, "You know, you look very mom-like with that baby monitor."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders as she told him, "I have a responsibility under state law as a foster parent. I've already bought him toys and clothes."

Booth smiled at that, "Ah, so you've bought him some clothes?"

Brennan said, "Well, I sent an intern, who apparently loves bears, which in reality would devour a small child."

Hodgins walked up to them then and gave them his results, "I tested the ground bone for strontium."

Brennan told Booth in terms he would understand, "Strontium is an element found in most rocks."

Hodgins smiled as he saw Booth's expression before moving on, "Human beings absorb it through the consumption of local vegetation and water. Over time, the isotope collects in the bones, meaning…"

Booth looked heavenward before finishing for the bug man. "You could use it to figure out where someone's from." Brennan and Hodgins looked at him in shock. "That is right, people. I am a constant surprise."

They were interrupted by the baby crying being heard through the baby monitor. "I don't understand. He's been fed; he's changed; I patted him, and now he's just...complaining."

Booth smirked as he saw the first tell-tale signs of fatigue from his wife. "He's acting like a real baby."

Hodgins smiled at them before continuing, "The victim was from northern West Virginia. Tucker County to be more precise."

That made no sense. "Well, are you sure she's from Tucker County? The crash was in Pendleton."

Hodgins nodded, "Very sure. Particulate matter collected from the salvaged area of the car contained guano from a Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus."

Brennan was happy with those results. "So we know where to look." She then looked at the baby monitor, which was still transmitting the baby's cries.

Booth looked at her with a raised brow before he asked, "Are you gonna get him?"

Brennan shrugged, "I figured you'd get him."

Booth threw her words back at her, "Don't you have a 'responsibility under state law'?"

Brennan huffed slightly. "But you're the baby daddy."

Booth knew for a fact that she had no clue what she was saying by that. "Baby daddy?"

Brennan nodded as she explained, "You have prior experience with pre-verbal infancy."

Booth shook his head as he told her, "You can be the daddy mommy."

Angela came up to them then, breaking up their bickering – much to Hodgins' disappoint – and said, "Okay, you two had better get your act together or I'm suing for custody. This is my rendering of the victim."

Brennan looked at the photo and back at the baby while she observed, "Numerous genetic similarities. Cam's running DNA tests to be sure, but I'm comfortable with the assessment that this was the child's mother."

Booth said sadly, "He misses his mother. He's sad."

Brennan felt a rush of emotions surge through her at those words. She reached slowly for the baby and took him from Angela as she told Booth. "We need to go to Tucker County."

~BONES~

Booth was driving through the town as he told Brennan, "The last coal mine closed about eight years ago. This place is a ghost town."

Brennan nodded, "The local economy was devastated."

Booth agreed with that. "Yeah. That could be why our victim was driving a junker. She couldn't afford registration, insurance..." He then couldn't help but say, "You know, I don't wanna sound insensitive here, but I'm telling you: real estate? It's gotta be a steal. I mean, we could build ourselves a beautiful house on the river. I could come out and fish. We could put in one of those media rooms. You know, I saw a one hundred and three inch flat-screen TV…"

Brennan gave him a look before she said, "We don't need another residence, Booth."

Booth shrugged as he said, "Just, you know, tryin' to give you a little financial advice."

Brennan then looked back at the baby. She couldn't help but think how lonely he was. It was so sad.

~BONES~

They pulled up at a trailer park by some train tracks. Booth started to get out and Brennan followed, "Okay."

Booth shook his head and told her sternly, "No no no no no no no no no."

Brennan asked concerned, "What?"

Booth pointed at her seat and told her protectively. "No no no no. Look, the front door is open. You stay here."

Brennan started to protest, "But…"

Booth shook his head again, "Bones, there is a baby involved. If you hear gunfire, anything like that, drive away."

Brennan wasn't going to just leave him. "But…I'm not leaving you."

Booth wasn't going to budge on this topic. "Yes you will, because this is about the baby, not me. Promise me."

Brennan looked back at Andy and then at Booth, before she sighed and said softly, "I promise." She watched as he walked into the trailer and sighed anxiously. She then turned back to Andy and said as she started to climb to the back seat, "We will find out what happened to your mother. I promise. You know, Booth is an excellent investigator and, I don't like to boast, but I am the best in my field." Andy started to fuss. "What do you want? Ah. How, how about some visual and auditory stimulation? Okay. Let's see. Um."

Brennan gave up looking for something and then started to waggle her fingers, "Phalanges! Phalanges. Phalanges! Dancing phalanges. Dancing phalanges! Yeah-hah-hah. Booth thinks bones are dry and boring, but– show me your phalanges."

The baby started to wiggle his own fingers as Booth came out with a handcuffed Lou. "Hey, Bones. Her husband, real genius, doesn't even remember where he was last night."

Brennan slammed her door shut as she told Lou, "We've got your son in here. His mother's dead and now you're the only one…"

Lou shook his head, "Oh, no no no no no. I never wanted to have a kid. She did it because she thought it would, uh, straighten me out, but I told her I couldn't handle a kid because I'm a free spirit?"

Booth shook his head in disgust as he said, "What you are is a drunk, Lou. All right, dispatch. I need a forensics team and a car for a burglary suspect and a possible murderer…"

Lou objected loudly, "Woah! I didn't kill her! Why would I? Who else would feed me?"

~BONES~

Brennan was carrying Andy out of the trailer as Booth looked at them. "First the key, now jewelry. What's next? Are you gonna let him play with a bowling ball?"

Brennan said defensively, "What? I'm watching him!" Booth took Andy from her and placed him in the back seat as she told him, "Meg had a number of bone conditions that would have caused chronic pain but she wasn't taking any pain medication."

Booth handed her back her pendant. "Here. It was probably because she didn't want it affecting her, you know, her supply."

Brennan smiled slightly at Booth's obvious discomfort. "What, you mean her breast milk? You know, you can say the word breast, Booth." She then mumbled suggestively, "I know you can."

Booth stood outside his door as he told her, "Yeah, I know, Bones."

Brennan honestly didn't get why Booth was so shy about speaking about such topics in public. "Well, didn't Rebecca breastfeed Parker?"

Booth slid into his car as he told her, "I am not. You know... I am not discussing that with you."

Brennan joked slightly, "Would teat make you more comfortable?"

Booth almost yelled, "I am not talking teats with you!"

Brennan huffed, "Why not?"

Booth shook his head in exasperation. "Enough!" He blew a breath out before he went on, "So our victim wasn't taking any painkillers."

Brennan jumped right back into it. "No, but her occupational markers in her lateral upper condyle and lower discs suggest that her job requires manual labor. Her pain might have been excruciating."

Booth nodded. "Probably had no choice. I mean, jobs around here are pretty scarce. All right, what do you say we go talk to her boss?"

Brennan was silent for a few seconds before she asked, "Were you breastfed? I was." Booth couldn't believe the things she wanted to talk about sometimes.

~BONES~

Brennan just disconnected with Angela as she turned back to Booth. "I've got the bank's address. It's in Petersberg, one town from Huntsville."

Booth smiled at Andy as he said, "Great! I'll request a warrant. That'll give us time to go to Family Services in Parsons to…"

Brennan started to walk toward Booth as she shook her head. "What? No! Not yet."

Booth was surprised as she took Andy from him and held him protectively. "Bones, I know this is difficult but we both agreed that we'd keep Andy to get the key. Now that we have the key..."

Brennan started to walk to the truck as she told him firmly, "No. You can't leave him with Family Services in the middle of nowhere. Cam still needs to review his medical records."

Booth knew that this was going to be hard, but still. "Oh, well... I mean... Bones, there are doctors there."

Brennan gently placed Andy back in his car seat and told Booth, "You have no idea what that place will be like, Booth. Med students, underfunded, understaffed…"

Booth knew that tone anywhere. "Bones."

Brennan told him passionately, "His mother is dead and his father is a felon. I've been in his situation, Booth. I am not turning him over until I'm satisfied that he is somewhere safe where he'll get the care he deserves."

Booth knew that he wasn't going to win this one and he had grown attached to the little man as well. "Fine. He can stay with us, for now."

Brennan smiled at him and said quietly, "Thank you."

Booth gave her a knowing smile before he said, "Okay. I'll go lock the back up."

Brennan turned to make sure that Andy was secure in the car before she impulsively blew a raspberry on his tummy and then another. They both laughed, before she looked around to make sure no one saw her.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were sitting in the open trunk, drinking coffee. Booth sighed into his cup. "You know, I'm gonna miss that little guy...And so are you, so don't deny it."

Brennan smile a little before she said, "I'm not ashamed to say that I have developed a certain...affection for Andy. It's a natural byproduct of care giving."

Booth looked at her for a few moments before he asked quietly, "Yeah. So, what do you think, huh? Change your mind about having kids?"

Brennan smiled at him as she said in a warning tone. "Booth."

Booth could tell that she had softened to the idea over the past few days. They would take it one day at a time. "Okay, all right. You got some time." He paused before he added jokingly, "Not that much time…"

Brennan swatted at him for saying that. "Booth!" She accidently knocked his cup out of his hands. He said in shook, 'Hey.' as she looked down at the mess. "Now look what you did!"

Brennan started to clean up some of the mess as Booth said in defense, "What I did?"

Brennan picked up some portfolios and was wiping them down as she nodded her head, "Yeah."

Booth shot back, "You're the one who hit me!" He then noticed that she was holding something and took one of the portfolios from her, "Woah, what is all this stuff?"

Brennan sighed. "It's information Carol gave me, from a structural engineer."

Booth smiled at her as he said, "Oh, so you took my financial advice, didn't you? Hm? We're gonna build that home."

Brennan shook her head as she said softly, "No. The congressman couldn't help so I'm rebuilding the bridge into Huntsville. I've hired Carol Grant as the project manager."

Booth's eyes widened. "Wow. That is going to cost a fortune."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Well, to you it's a fortune, but with my advance, and selling the movie rights…"

Booth shook his head and gave her a look of amusement. Yes, he knew they were loaded. He just never got used to that idea. "Yeah, I get it. You know, I thought you said that towns lived and died liked organisms, that sometimes we should just let them go."

Brennan told him, "Sometimes it takes one thing, like a bridge, for a town to start recovering. Back on the scenic route the gas stations could reopen, restaurants, maybe a bed and breakfast for people wanting to stay in the area."

Booth looked at her proudly. "Wow. Listen to you. Good for you." He handed her the documents and sat back. He couldn't help but add, "You know, it's a, it's a shame."

Brennan asked confused, "What?"

Booth shrugged, "No kids, who's going to be proud of you?"

Brennan gave him a look and said quietly, "I don't do it for that. Plus, I have you."

Booth smiled at her and said, "Yeah, okay. I know. I know. You know, with next year's book, we should uh, we should get that second home in that town you saved. I mean, it only makes sense, right? Because every year, you know, plasmas, they go down, they get cheaper and cheaper–it happens all the time."

Brennan shook her head. "Forget it."

Booth had been joking of course, but still he like d the idea of it. "What? I'm just saying. Andy's going to miss his Auntie Bones. He's going to want to see you. We could all go fishing, come back home, plop ourselves in front of that one hundred and three inch plasma screen of heaven and football and you can make the five layer dip."

Brennan corrected, "Seven layer dip."

Booth said excitedly, "Even better! Seven layers! Perfect! You can talk to Andy, 'hello Andy, little baby, little baby baby Andy…'" Brennan grabbed the pacifier from out of his hand and shoved it in his mouth, to shut him up. But when he started to suck on it she started to laugh a little. The man could be so childish sometimes. Man, did she love him.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – The Verdict in the Story**

Booth had just met up with Brennan as he showed her to the crime scene. He still couldn't believe what he had seen when he came there. "Bones, you are not going to believe this one."

Brennan followed Booth up some stairs as she told him, "Well, you said that about the guy who was stuffed inside a huge truck tire. I believed that."

Booth shook his head as he opened the gate to where the body was. "Yeah, that was a good one. This is a whole new level of weird."'

Brennan looked at the skeleton and was speechless. Its feet and hands were tied together behind its back and it was resting on a pile of bricks almost like it was doing a yoga move. "Whoa. I don't believe it."

Booth smiled at her as he nodded. Their jobs were so awesome sometimes…not to say that being murdered was awesome, but… "Mhm. What did I tell ya?"

Brennan walked up to the bones and asked in stunned disbelief, "How could this happen?"

Booth thought aloud, "Whoa, well, um…Maybe he was rolled up in a carpet."

Brennan laughed a little at that. Her husband could honestly be unintentionally very funny at times. "Where's the carpet?"

Booth shrugged as he told her, "Well, it rotted away. You know, with the meaty parts." Brennan couldn't help her laughing now. She knew that Booth wasn't trained in her field, but she still found it highly amusing to think of the scenario he told her. Booth looked at as if she were losing her mind a little. "What? It's possible."

Brennan tried to control her laughter as she saw his face. She didn't want to offend him, but sometimes he was so hilarious. "That - that would've, that would've taken thousands of years. Um, uh. The bones should be in a pile but," she started to laugh again, "something is holding them together and…" And then she couldn't hold her laughter in anymore.

Booth looked at her and shook his head. He hadn't seen her react like this in a long time to something he said. "What is with you?"

Brennan shook her head as she tried to talk through her laughter, "Rolled in a carpet! Meaty parts!"

Caroline walked up to them then. She for one, had never seen Brennan laugh so hard. Or ever really. "Excuse me?"

Brennan straightened up as she recognized that voice. She tried to control her laughter again. "Ah, uh…oh."

Caroline looked at Booth and then Brennan. "What is so funny?"

Brennan shook her head as she held back another bout of laughter. "Nothing."

Caroline gave her a stern look as she said, "I should hope not because there's a dead body deserving of respect right in front of you." She then looked at the body, "What happened to him?" That just set Brennan off again into a fit of laughter. Caroline looked at Booth and told him seriously, "I did not know she could laugh."

Booth was still trying to figure out what Caroline was doing there. She never came onto one of their crime scenes. "What are you doing at the crime scene?"

Caroline sighed. She didn't know how to put it in a nice way, so she said it bluntly and to the point. "Dr. Brennan is suspended from all crime-related duties."

Booth's jaw dropped a little. His heart rate spiked as he thought of all the possibilities and reason why they were being split apart. "What?"

Brennan asked in confusion, "What? For laughing at Booth?"

Booth only hoped that that was the reason. "That really doesn't bother me."

Caroline could see Booth's rising panic and quickly alleviated his worries, "We have a date for your father's murder trial. Booth is the arresting officer. You can't work together until it's over."

Brennan shook her head, "This is not necessary."

Booth didn't like that idea anymore that Brennan. "They don't need to separate us."

Brennan told her honestly, "I'm very compartmentalized."

Booth knew that to be true. He was still amazed that his wife hadn't even yelled at him for arresting her father. "Very compartmentalized."

Caroline raised her hand to stop the onslaught of defenses. She knew that, but she had only volunteered to tell the duo since she knew them so long. After all, Booth was like a son to her, which meant that Brennan was like a daughter-in-law. She hated to see them being separated and she had tried to voice her opinion at the meeting, but her hands were tied. "Take it up with the FBI, Cherie." She walked away, leaving the two of them looking at each other dejectedly.

Booth sighed as he looked back at the body, "Well, that sucks."

Brennan pouted slightly as she said, "This one looked really interesting."

Booth agreed with her, "Yeah. Really, really interesting. Well, I'll let you know what happens."

Brennan looked at him, then at the body, and then back at him again. "You're not going to solve it without me."

~BONES~

Booth, Brennan and Sweets were sitting and eating at the Royal Diner. They had been trying to figure out a way to persuade Sweets to stop their sessions with going into great detail, but the kid wouldn't accept it. So Booth told him honestly, "I mean, there's no use in doing partners' therapy when we aren't partners."

Sweets looked at them in shock. "What? You split up?"

Booth sighed heavily. It had been a long night of him making phone calls to his supervisors. None of them listened to him of course. "We got split up."

Brennan huffed in aggravation as she told Sweets, "The FBI says we can't work together."

Sweets didn't get it. "Why?"

Booth leaned forward and explained, "Brennan's dad murdered the deputy director of the FBI."

Brennan nodded and informed to boy, "His trial begins next week."

Sweets looked at Booth as he said, "I should have been informed."

Brennan was very confused by that, "Of the trial? Why?"

Booth leaned back again as he draped his arm across the back of her chair, "Oh, because Sweets did the psychological profile of Max for the prosecution."

Brennan looked at her husband in shock. "What? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Sweets had been so wrapped up in his own thinking that he didn't even notice Booth's possessive gesture of draping his arm over Brennan's chair then. He just wanted to keep his clients. "Why is that important to you?"

Booth couldn't believe the kid. "Sweets! No therapy! Didn't I just – listen…because while it wouldn't matter to say – a normal person – I just figured you wouldn't care." Booth knew her, and he knew that she wouldn't have really wanted to know about it either. After all psychology was a soft science.

Brennan thought about that for a few seconds before she nodded her agreement, "You're absolutely right."

Sweets sighed as he told her, "Dr. Brennan. Everyone you work with, including your therapist…"

Booth added quietly, "Former therapist."

Sweets ignored that as he continued, "Is endeavoring to imprison your father. That's wicked stressful."

Brennan shrugged as she told him plainly, "Booth is right, it doesn't bother me."

Sweets shook his head. "No, Booth is wrong. Yes, it does. May I suggest that this is a golden opportunity for you to feel a situation rather than simply rationalize it?"

Brennan told him sternly, "I'm fine."

Sweets said in aggravation, "If you were fine, you'd be balled up in the corner, weeping, or semi-catatonic."

Brennan looked at Booth and asked, "Does that sound fine to you?"

Booth knew her, yes, which also meant he knew how she coped with things. Not about the semi-catatonic part, but the part about her not being fine. She was hurting and he didn't know what to do to stop that pain. "I'm sorry, Bones, but I'm gonna have to agree with Sweets on this one."

Sweets told her, "I think it's important that you know that we know that the colder and more objective you appear on the outside, the more pain you're feeling on the inside."

Brennan leaned back as she told him even more sternly, "I'm fine."

Sweets wasn't giving up though, "No. You're not."

Booth could see that this was upsetting Brennan and that it also was going to go nowhere real fast. So he stood up and tried to diffuse the situation. "Well, Sweets. I'm – I'm gonna miss you. It was a real pleasure working with you."

Sweets took the bait just like Booth wanted him too. "Really? You are?"

Brennan saw Booth's maneuver to leave and followed in suit and stood up. "I, too, find him intriguing in a non-rigorous, pragmatically irrelevant kind of way."

Booth nodded as he placed a hand on her hip to guide her out into the walkway. "I agree with what she said."

Brennan smiled down at him and said, "Thank you for trying to help Booth and me work together."

Booth nodded at Sweets as he squeezed Brennan's hip as she walked past him. "Thanks, Sweets."

Sweets nodded as he watched them leave, "You're welcome…but honestly, guys…we…"

Booth asked as he walked by, "Will you pick this up? The tab?" He heard Sweets agree, but he wasn't paying attention anymore to that. He needed to think of a way to comfort Brennan.

~BONES~

Brennan sighed as she walked into their new apartment. They had just finished unpacking the last box a few days ago. Thankfully after their second move from the apartment that Epps tried to kill her in, they decided to leave all her books and artifacts there. They still owned the place, technically. But it only contained her various items that she collected over the years as well as all her books. It was basically a very big office for her. It also helped to have a second address to give to her publisher. This way any stalker/killer/psycho couldn't find her as easily. But this new place had a little bit of both her and Booth in it.

Brennan placed her bag on the floor by the coat rack and shrugged out of her coat, before heading straight to their bedroom. Brennan looked around and saw that Booth hadn't come home yet. Which meant that he was still at the briefing with Caroline. To convict her father of murder. Which would probably lead him to his death sentence. Brennan once again felt the sting of tears collect in her eyes and she sniffed slightly as she made her way to the bathroom. What she needed was a nice, hot shower to clear her head.

She had just finished rinsing out the shampoo from her hair when she heard the door open and then close. She had her back turned to the curtain when she felt a rush of color air hit her skin as Booth stepped in behind her. Without even saying a word, Booth took her body wash and started to lather it before lovingly gliding her luffa across her back. He continued to wipe her body until he covered every inch. By the end of it, Brennan had her back leaning against his chest and her head lulled to one side. He kissed her gently on her exposed neck before he silently handed her, her conditioner and they traded spots. Booth started to shampoo his hair and then wiped down his own body while she let her conditioner settle.

Just a few minutes later, Booth drew her to him again, bringing her underneath the water and glided his fingers through her hair. He did that a few times before the conditioner was fully rinsed out he then turned off the water and silently opened the curtain before handing her a towel. They dried off in relative silence; the only sound being heard from one another was their breathing. Brennan had just finished drying her hair and slipped on one of Booth's many Flyers' t-shirts, when Booth walked over to her and scooped her up without warning. She made a startled sound as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to their bed.

He gently placed her down before he went to turn off all their lights. Brennan watched as he walked back into their bedroom, in only his boxers, before he slipped under the covers to join her. She then realized that they hadn't even said one word to each other through this whole time as Booth grabbed her hand and tugged her over to him as he whispered, "C'mere."

Brennan snuggled deeply into his side as he wrapped his arm around her, resting his hand on the swell of her hip. He gently stroked her skin as he whispered, "It's okay to feel sad Bones. Just remember that I'm always here for you. Even though it may seem that I'm not. I always will be on your side."

At his words, Brennan felt the sting of her tears return. She snuggled a little bit closer to Booth before she said in a small, vulnerable voice, "He'll probably get the death sentence."

Booth squeezed her hip as he placed a kiss on her head before whispering back, "I know." At those words, she finally let the tears fall. And Booth wiped them away and showed her that, if only for tonight, she could be 'not fine'.

~BONES~

Brennan was sitting on the bench alone while everyone else was down the hallway as Booth approached, whistling, with coffee in his hands. He handed one to Brennan and sat down beside her as he said loudly for everyone to hear, "It might not be good coffee, but hey at least it's lukewarm."

Brennan looked at him confused. "We're not supposed to talk." They had been told not to talk with each other while the trial was taking place, at least at court. Caroline had also told them privately that they couldn't talk with each other about the trial either, even at home.

Booth whispered, "We can't talk about the case," he then said loudly, "but we can talk about crappy coffee." He whispered to Brennan, "Put the cup in front of your mouth when you talk."

Brennan did as she said, "I didn't see Angela today."

Booth whispered back to her, "Angela refuses to testify."

Brennan asked in shock, "Why?"

Booth told her honestly, "Probably because she's your best friend…"

Brennan didn't understand that. "Well, you're my friend and husband, and you don't mind."

Booth sighed as he shook his head, "I mind. We all mind. Except for Zach."

Brennan told him with slight exasperation, "Well, in that case, Zach is the only one thinking clearly. I had to give Hodgins permission. I don't know what's wrong with everyone."

Booth sighed again, "It's not what's wrong, Bones. It's what's right."

Hodgins, Zach and Cam wave to Booth and Brennan. The two waved back and Caroline saw that. "No. No. Y'all cut that out."

The deputy court officer called out, "Court will reconvene in 30 seconds."

Booth sighed before he said, "Good luck, Bones. Oh, and remember I'm the one who gave you this delicious coffee."

Brennan was confused by that statement, "Why?"

Booth sighed as he said, "Why? Because I'm the first prosecution witness against your father."

~BONES~

Booth was sitting on a bench outside the courthouse. Brennan walked up with coffee and nudged Booth to take his cup as she sat down next to him.

Sweets walked up to them then and told them excitedly, "I'm writing a book. Taking a clinical approach to efficacy and focused outcomes. You shouldn't work well together, but you do. I'd like to study it further."

Booth looked at Brennan confused, "I don't get it."

Brennan scrunched her face as she told him, "He wants to study us."

Sweets had thought that this had been a great plan. "Once a week, nothing changes."

Booth ignored Sweets and looked at Brennan as he said, "Now why would we want to do that?"

Brennan shook her head as she smiled at him. "I can't think of a good reason."

Sweets pointed out, "Okay, see. That thing you do when you talk to each other while excluding the third party, namely me, it's an adaptive mechanism for, uh, disparate entities to bond together against their own individual impetuses to dissociate. It's, um, it's what…"

Booth went back to ignoring the kid as he asked his wife, "What does that mean for us?"

Brennan said honestly, "Nothing useful."

Booth thought of something then that could be useful, "Tell you what. Why don't we make a deal with him where we allow him to study us. In return, he gives us psychological profiling on demand."

Sweets was game for that. "Okay."

Brennan shook her head. "No, you like that sort of thing but I don't see the point."

Booth then started to joke a little, "I just think he doesn't want to admit that he likes us."

Brennan looked at Sweets as she asked smiling, "Do you like us?"

Sweets looked at them pensively as he asked, "What?"

Booth added as he saw Sweets face, "And he wants to spend time with us. Time with us."

Brennan couldn't help but ask, "Is that true, Sweets? You like us?"

Sweets shook his head as he lied, "No."

Booth and Brennan started to say in a sing songy tone, "He really likes us."

Sweets huffed in irritation. "Alight, you know what. I'm sorry I made the offer. I take it back. Forget it." He walked off as the couple watched.

Brennan then looked at Booth as she said, "Sweets is pretty good in the interrogation room."

Booth agreed with that. "Yeah. Profiling on demand, interrogating back up…"

Brennan thought back to when Sweets was on the stand and said, "Well, and to be honest, I was impressed with his credentials."

Booth nodded his head, "I'll tell him okay."

Right then Clark walked up to them. "Dr. Brennan? I found something." The couple looked at each other. Booth saw immediately hope flare in Brennan's eyes. He hoped for her too.

~BONES~

There was a knock at the door of their old place. Brennan looked through the peep hole and then answered it, allowing Booth and Zach to walk in. Booth said quietly, "Bones, I have a warrant here to search these premises for any weapon or implement congruent with the murder weapon."

Brennan sighed as she told him, "I could save you some time."

Booth shook his head, "No. Zach is, uh, gonna be the bone expert on this one. He'll be doing all the looking."

Zach looked at his mentor and asked, "Where did Clark Edison learn that trick with the food dye? I don't know that trick."

Booth snapped his fingers and told the kid, "Zach. Focus. Okay?" Zach nodded before he went off to search while Booth went over to where Brennan sat down and asked her, "How ya doing there, Bones?"

Brennan shook her head in confusion, "When it looked like my father might go free I got…This is very confusing for me."

Booth sat down on the armrest of the couch as he told her, "You liked the idea of him beating the murder charge."

Brennan nodded her head, "Yes. But he did it. We both know my father did it."

Booth whispered to her, "Bones, wanting your father to come home instead of going to prison, that's- that's okay."

Brennan didn't like feeling this conflict inside her. "But what I do – what we do is put murders like him away."

Booth tried to think of a way to explain this to her. "Okay. You're not Dr. Brennan today. You're Temperance."

Brennan was confused by that. "I don't know what that means."

Booth tried another way. "The scientist part of you got sidelined, temporarily."

That didn't help her at all. 'I still don't know what that means."

Booth decided to go another route, "Bones, just, take the brain, okay, put it in neutral. Alright? Take the heart – pop it into overdrive." He then imitated a car engine revving and pretended to drive. He got what he was looking for from her too. She laughed.

Brennan shook her head as she said amusedly, "Sometimes I think you're from another planet." Booth stopped 'driving' and sat back up as he leaned toward her. She then whispered as they grabbed each other hands, "And sometimes I think you're really very nice."

Zach yelled out, breaking their solitude, "I found it."

Those were the two words Booth had been hoping not to hear. Damn.

~BONES~

Brennan walked into their apartment after having just left from eating with her father. She had a thought come up and needed to think it through. She had wanted to talk with Booth about it, but as she had been driving home, she realized she needed to formulate a plan first.

Booth noticed her arrival from the couch and how she was pacing a little by the door. She had that look on her face. It told him that she was getting something sorted out that would be very big. "Hey Bones. How'd the dinner go?"

Brennan looked up from where she had been pacing and said, "Good." After a short pause she told him suddenly, "How about we go out tomorrow for breakfast, I'll buy."

Booth looked at her, slightly confused by her sudden topic change, but nodded, "Okay." Brennan nodded her head before she slipped off her shoes and jacket. She then slowly made her way over to him and sat down.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and whispered, "You would do anything for family, right Booth?"

Booth nodded slowly. "Yeah. Why?"

Brennan shook her head. "My father stayed for me. He did that even though he knew he could very well die. I think I know what I need to do."

Booth looked down at her confused, "What are you talking about Bones?"

Brennan shook her head. She still needed to think some things through. "I'll tell you tomorrow." Booth was a little concerned, but let the subject drop. This whole week had been hell for her and he wasn't about to push her even more.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were having breakfast at the Royal Diner when Brennan finally started to ask, "If the truth can't be proven, is it still the truth?"

Booth didn't understand the woman sometimes. "You invited me to breakfast to talk philosophy?"

Brennan rushed forward so she could get Booth's opinion. "A theory isn't even really a theory until it's challenged. It's just simply a hypothesis. I don't believe that a man should die based upon a hypothesis, do you?"

Booth leaned forward and told her seriously, "If you have a question, just ask it."

Brennan sighed before she whispered, "I have a way to lodge reasonable doubt in the jury."

Booth shook his head, "We can't talk about this."

Brennan looked at him and pleaded, "Please? You're the person I talk to about things like this."

Booth sighed, already knowing that he would help her. "No perjury involved. Just an interpretation of existing facts."

Brennan nodded her head, "An alternate story."

Booth finally told her the one thing that he knew she hadn't thought of. "You don't know that he did it, you know, your old man."

Brennan looked at him as she said, "Well, we both know he did it."

Booth shook his head, "No, not the way that you define 'know'. You know, with proof and all that."

Brennan understood what he was saying. "It's going to be enough for the jury."

Booth told her, "Jury's are a human factor in a trial, alright? You never know what they'll do."

Brennan nodded again. "You think it's alright for me to take advantage of that?"

Booth whispered again to her, "Brain and heart, Bones. Brain and heart." This was family, you do what you can to protect them.

~BONES~

Barron asked Booth, "Was anyone else present at all three locations?"

Booth answered, "Me. But I didn't kill the deputy director of the FBI."

Barron nodded, "You had motive. He fired you that day and threatened Ms. Julian. By the way, was she at all three locations?"

Caroline stood up at that. "Objection! It's just rude to accuse me of murder."

Barron told the judge, "I count three people in this courtroom, besides my client, who had motive to kill Kirby."

Haddoes nodded his head, "I'll allow it."

Booth shook his head, "Ms. Julian was never at the crime scene, so you're stuck with me."

Barron smiled at Booth as he said, "And Dr. Brennan."

Booth leaned back in his chair and whispered as he looked at Brennan, "I see where you're going with this."

Barron asked him, "Was Dr. Temperance Brennan at the seminary?"

Booth answered, "Yes."

Barron asked the key question, "But did she have a motive?"

Booth sighed as he nodded, "Yes, she had motive. Kirby tried to kill her brother."

Barron nodded his head as he started to walk away, "Thank you."

But Booth couldn't let her put herself out there like that. She was not a killer. "Bones was with me all day."

Barron looked at him and asked, "She didn't have time to commit this murder?"

Booth shook his head. "No, she did not."

Barron smiled as he recalled what Brennan had said. Booth had jumped to her defense and now he was going to use that to his advantage. He asked him the one thing that only Brennan could have known. "How did your son, Parker, get home from school that day?"

Booth looked at her in shock. She had known that he would do this. She was prepared. Brennan looked at him, telling him silently to answer the question. Booth shook his head, "Forty five minutes we were apart, but we talked on the phone."

Barron jumped on that, "Plenty of time, wasn't it Agent Booth?" Booth looked at Brennan as he tried to think of her killing Kirby. He knew she couldn't have done it. Barron said, "Dr. Brennan could have burned the body hours later when you were safe at home."

Haddoes saw Booth's hesitation and told him, "The witness will answer the question."

Booth looked at his wife and said quietly, "That's a lot of heart, Bones."

Barron needed that answer, "Your Honor…"

Haddoes told him again, "Answer the question please, Agent Booth."

Booth never would have thought that Brennan could offer herself like that. But there she was putting her name, her life on the line for her family. And he was not about to let the woman he loved give her life up. "Could Bones have killed Kirby? Temperance Brennan – I've worked with this woman. I've stood over death with her, I've faced down death with her. And Sweets, he's brilliant, he is, but he's wrong. She could not have done this."

Barron shook his head. "I didn't ask you your opinion of Dr. Brennan's character. I asked you, did she have time?"

Booth looked to Brennan and knew then that she needed him to tell the truth. What he said, could save her father. Booth hated this. He hated having to risk her life for her father's. "Yes. She had time."

~BONES~

Brennan was standing on the steps of the courthouse and she turned around to see Booth coming out towards. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. He whispered to, "That's a lot of heart, Bones. I'm proud of you." She hugged him back silently thanking him for going along with it. Angela came down the stairs behind them then and touched Brennan's back. Brennan was happy to see that her friend was out of jail. At least now, she had the two people that could provide her the most comfort if her plan didn't work.

She then turned to see Caroline and Sweets heading out. Shortly thereafter, her father and brother came walking out. Brennan smiled widely as he father walked over to her with a matching smile on his face. He hugged her for a long time. Sweets watched from the top of the stairs and asked Caroline, "So are you gonna charge her?"

Caroline shook her head. "You gotta go back to school on this one. That's a fine woman there." A fine one indeed. Seeley did good with himself with that one.

Booth had stepped off to the side to all the two to reunite. He smiled as Brennan looked up at him over her father's shoulder and she smiled back. Everything was going to be okay now.

Oh, if only they knew what was to come.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – The Wannabe in the Weeds**

Brennan was looking down at the remains and shook her head in disbelief. "Every bone appears to be broken."

Booth sneezed loudly, causing Cam to say, "Bless you."

Booth snuffled out an, "Ugh. Thank you."

Brennan looked at the remains closely before saying, "Pelvic fragment suggests it's a male..."

Booth sneezed again, rather loudly, which caused Cam to look up that time and ask, "Are you okay?"

Booth rubbed his nose before he waved her concern away. "Thank you, fine. Just..."

Brennan looked at Cam and told her as an explanation, "Particles from the cut grass are causing his mast cells to release inflammatory mediators."

That sounded a lot worse than what he had. "It's just allergies, Bones."

Brennan looked at him confused. 'I know. That's what I said."

Cam nodded her head before returning to examine the remains. "Given the degree of decomp he's been dead a couple of weeks."

Booth asked, "Body dump?"

Cam nodded. "Lividity's indeterminate."

Booth felt another sneeze coming on and tried to stop it. "Oh" Unsuccessfully, that is.

Brennan couldn't help but ask, "How does a former sniper have a grass allergy? I mean, wouldn't a sneeze give away your position?"

Booth pointed out, "Bones, okay, I worked in the desert. Sand, no grass." Well, he did work the forest that one time…and looked what that got him. He smiled slightly at that thought.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan walked through the gym looking for the manager as they talked about the people they were seeing. "Look, these people are just trying to get healthy Bones. That's all."

Brennan snorted at that. She didn't need to come to a gym to be healthy. She did Pilates at home and she ran three times a week. "There is a fine line between 'health' and 'vanity'."

Booth however took note of a woman working out on one of the machines. He loved his wife very much, but that did not mean that he didn't have eyes. There are many beautiful women in the world and he took notice every once in a while. "Huh?"

Brennan starts to rant a little, "Well, this obsession with physical perfection clouds a society's moral vision." She then noticed that Booth wasn't even paying her any attention, instead he was looking at that woman workout. She slapped his arm and said with mild amusement. "You are ogling that woman!"

Booth looked at her, embarrassed that he had been caught. "What? No, I'm not, I'm just…"

Brennan knew that Booth meant nothing by it. She wasn't offended or put-off. She too, on occasion, admired a man physique for what it was. A fine specimen. However that didn't mean that she would act on such thoughts. And she also knew that Booth wouldn't either. "Yes you are!"

Booth tried to recover, hoping that the slight smile on her lips was a good thing. "I, I, I'm just... um, admiring her routine."

Dr. Jason Bergman walked up to them then, cutting off any further conversation. "I am the Wellness Centre's manager, Dr. Jason. I understand you're with the FBI."

Booth nodded as he introduced them, "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, this here's Dr. Temperance Brennan. We're here about Thomas Sour."

Jason looked at them suspiciously before he asked, "He in trouble?"

Booth took note of his reaction before he told him plainly, "He's dead."

Jason sighed as he nodded his head in aggravation. "That explains why he's not returning my calls."

Booth said, "You don't seem too upset about that."

Jason shrugged his shoulders as he explained, "Tommy was my most popular trainer. Since he disappeared, I've had to deal with a lot of angry clients. You're with the FBI, that mean Tommy was murdered?"

Booth didn't answer that question. He instead asked, "You wouldn't happen to know a woman, a client of his, Pam? Some people refer to her as 'Fat Pam'?"

Jason nodded his head in recognition. "I know who you mean. Pam Nunan. She booked two hour sessions. Paid cash. Perfect client. Until…"

Brennan prompted, "Until?"

Jason told them, "Until she fell in love with Tommy. Started to freak him out."

Brennan's brow furrowed. "How so?"

Jason expounded. "She was too handsy. She'd rub up against him. Even invited him on a Caribbean cruise."

Booth jotted that down on his note card before he asked, "Would you happen to have Ms. Nunan's address?"

Jason nodded. "Sure."

Jason started to walk toward his office to grab her file, allowing Booth to notice the same woman as before, but now she was stretching. Brennan took notice and slapped his arm again. "Booth!"

Booth looked at her and smiled sheepishly for getting caught again. "Yeah?"

Brennan pointed at the woman and narrowed her eyes slightly, "That's not helping the investigation."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were meeting with Pam Nunan in Booth's office. She had brought with her a photo album, full of images of Tommy. She touched them with a loving – albeit creepy – hand as she said, "He's such a cutie, isn't he? Tommy is such a wonderful person. Big heart, and so devoted."

Even Brennan knew that such behavior was…strange. "You brought a photo album?"

Pam looked at her like that was such a stupid thing to ask. "You said you wanted to talk about Tommy. I figured you'd like to see pictures."

Booth held out his hand for the album as he said, "Those pictures are," he looked at the pictures and commented, "They are taken from quite a distance, Pam."

Pam laughed lightly as she told them, "He's so shy. It's one of the things I love about him."

Brennan pursed her lips at that. "We understand that Tommy was your personal trainer?"

Pam sighed happily as she smiled at them. "Oh, he was so much more than that. Before I met Tommy, I was so down on myself. But Tommy... he's such a sweetheart."

Brennan couldn't help but ask, "Does Tommy share your affection?"

Pam glared at her as she said, "Why do you ask it like that?" She then turned to Booth and asked, "Because I don't look like a scarecrow? Like her?"

Brennan hadn't been expecting that reaction. "Hey! What - what are you coming after me for?" She then turned to Booth as well, a hint of worry coming into her voice, "D-do I look like a scarecrow?"

Booth looked at her and thought she definitely did not look like a scarecrow. Actually, just thinking of how much she didn't look like one, inflamed him to want to show her how much he loved her curves. However, they were on the job…with a suspect. He cleared his throat of what he knew was going to huskiness before he said, "Well, you…" There was no way to say it without getting suggestive at that point, so Booth decided to placate their suspect. He turned to Pam and told her, "I think you look good." Booth saw Brennan pout a little at his lack of answer, but he smiled internally as he thought of what he could do to show exactly what he thought.

Pam smiled at Booth as she said, "Thank you. Like Tommy, you see me for who I really am. Not... scrawny." Pam then pointedly glared at Brennan.

Brennan sat up straighter in her chair and said indignantly, "What - I am not scrawny. My body mass index is well within the normal limits…"

Booth waved a hand and tried to get them back on track. "Can we talk about Tommy please?"

Pam raised her chin in the air as she said proudly, "If he didn't love me, why would he want to marry me?"

Booth had a real hard believing that. "Marry you? He was going to marry you?"

Pam nodded as she said earnestly, "Tommy's my life. And I'm his. Whatever you think he's done, I know he didn't do it."

Brennan raised a brow as she finally told the woman – who was getting on her bad side very quickly, "We're not worried about what he did. It's what you might have done."

Booth noticed that Pam looked at both of them confused. He told her as gently as possible, "Tommy is dead."

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were sitting at the bar of the Royal Diner. Brennan was still trying to tamp down her arousal from seeing Booth act so dominant over the two scammers at the Checker Box. It always got her hot when Booth showed his dominant alpha male side. So there she sat listening to Booth, trying to focus on what he was saying and not his well-formed body. "I get it when a college kid wants to be a rock star, but half of those singers were over 30! Do they really think they're going to be famous?"

Brennan shrugged her shoulders as she finally was able to focus long enough to contribute something, "The need to stand out from the crowd is innate."

Booth scoffed at that. "It's obnoxious!"

Brennan pointed out, "You were the best sniper when you were in the army."

Booth told her, "I was just doing my job, okay? Well."

Brennan nodded as she said, "And that set you apart from the others."

Booth shook his head as he told her, "Bones, we're talking about singing some nightmarish Broadway songs."

Brennan smiled at him as she tried to explain, "Booth, it doesn't matter. Whoever is best has the status and power..." She couldn't help tell him in a huskier voice, "And becomes the superior mate."

Booth snorted softly. "Yeah, well I tell you that some of those people are not going to be mating, that's for sure."

Brennan leaned into him as she brought her hand down to his knee. She was going to have a little fun with him, warm him up – so to speak – before they got home. "But they will have the power and prestige. You enjoy it because you are a superb agent."

Booth sat up a little straighter and noticed her soft caress on his thigh – which was inching closer to his groin by the second. Which in turned, inflamed him greatly. "You think?"

Brennan smiled as she nodded, "Yes, of course. Since I am the best in my field, it would be self destructive for me to work with someone who's…beneath me."

Booth caught on to her double meaning by that phrase and tried to tamp down his hunger for her. "Oh. Okay. Well that's good. 'Cause, um, you know, I have to be honest here. Sometimes I think that you think you're better than me." Meaning on the job and not in the bed, he told her silently

Brennan smiled at him as she inched her hand up a little hit more. "Well, objectively, I am more intelligent..."

Booth grabbed his cup of coffee and he said, trying to ignore her hand and how his dick grew harder and larger, pressing against his jeans, "There you go..."

Brennan moved her hand up just a little bit before she cup his arousal fully in her hand through her pants. "In certain areas, and in others... I understand my limitations, and I... admire your expertise."

Booth closed his eyes as he felt her start to move her hand up and down slowly on his shaft. "Huh. You admire me?"

Brennan licked her lips as she said, "In certain areas of expertise."

Booth tried to control himself, so as not to give away what they were doing to others. Which was becoming harder – in both senses – since all he wanted to do was jerk his hips into her touch. He managed to say in a deeper voice, "Well, I admire your expertise. You have a whole," he groaned silently as she increased her pressure, "science thing."

Brennan smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you. I'm an author, too."

Booth just nodded as his hips lifted slightly off his stool. "I know"

Brennan took that movement as a sign that if she went any further they were going to not make it back to their place. So she withdrew her hand, which earned her a groan of protest from Booth as well as a slight glare, as she told him, "Best selling, and that also gives me elevated status."

Booth huffed in aggravation. It was just like her to leave him all worked up and still continue on with their conversation. Sometimes he didn't know how she kept such a neutral face, when all he wanted to do was slam her against the wall and fuck her senseless. He spoke into his cup as he picked it up and tried to, once again tamp down his hard on. "Here comes the ego."

Brennan smiled slightly at her husband's obvious agitation. "No, I'm not saying that society is correct to elevate me. I'm not saying that I deserve the elevation... I'm just saying... that it occurs. Society should elevate scholars and teachers not actors and athletes."

Booth cell rang as he asked her, "Yeah, what about cops?"

Brennan took a fry as she nodded her head, "They're very important."

Booth nodded his head in agreement as he answered his phone. "Yeah, it's Agent Booth"

Pam smiled widely as she watched him in the diner, "It's Pam. Pam Nunan."

Booth thought it was very strange for her to be calling him on his cell phone, but asked, "How can I help you, Miss Nunan?"

Pam asked, a little breathlessly, "Are you available to meet?"

Booth looked at Brennan, concern etching his face as he said, "I'm sorry, uh... how did you get my number?"

Pam laughed as she told him, "Your office patched me through. I said I was your mother."

Booth sat there a little stunned before he recovered and said, "Yeah, Dr. Brennan and I can meet with you."

Pam frowned as she told him, "No. Just you."

Booth cleared his throat as he tried to think of what to do. "Well if it's relevant to the case, Ms. Nunan, I think it would be important that Dr. Brennan…"

Pam rushed on to cut off whatever he was going to say. She was going to show him that she was better than that partner of his. "I can be at your office in a half hour, but you have to meet me alone."

Booth honestly didn't like what he heard on the other line. "I... I'm sorry, is this about Tommy?"

Pam smiled as she told him, "What else would it be about Agent Booth?" What he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.

Booth had a very bad feeling about this, but agreed, "Okay. A half hour."

Brennan looked at him concerned, "What'd she want?"

Booth shook his head as he told her in a dazed state, "She wants to see me. Without you."

Brennan furrowed her brow. "Did she say why?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders as he said what he hoped was the truth, "Probably because you make her feel uncomfortable."

Brennan didn't understand that at all. She had been nothing but…cordial with the woman. "How so?"

Booth looked at her, still worried, as he said, "Well because... You're you. You're a well adjusted woman."

Brennan couldn't help but add, "And a bestselling author. I was on the New York Times list for 18 weeks and I won the Ed..." She noticed his look, picked up a fry, and took a bite out of it. Okay, she had made her point.

~BONES~

Booth entered his office with Pam following him. "Right this way"

Pam smiled at him, "I really appreciate you seeing me."

Booth moved behind his desk as he motioned for her to have a seat, "Well, it's my job."

Pam laughed at that. "That's precious, it's your job"

Booth tried to refocus her attention. "You said you had information about the-"

Pam looked around a little and saw one of Booth's posters, "Hockey fan! I have that same print at my office. And it's Pam. I have season tickets to the Capitals, we should go sometime."

Booth didn't know what to make with Pam, "Ms. Nunan, about the case..."

Pam smiled at him a she tilted her head to the side, "Seeley, please. Pam. I need to ask you something."

Booth brow furrowed, "Okay, well usually I ask the questions…"

Pam didn't even wait for him to finish that sentence. "Are you dating Dr. Brennan?"

Booth was taken aback. This was starting to worry him. "No, she's my partner."

Pam smiled at that answer. He was available. "I see." She then noticed the picture of Parker behind Booth's desk. "Your nephew?"

Booth stepped in front of the picture. This was definitely getting creepy. "It's my son."

Pam looked at him disappointed, "You're married?"

Booth didn't know how to answer that. "That's not relevant to the case Ms. Nunan. Listen. I'm, I'm kind of busy here Ms. Nunan…"

Pam took that answer as a no as well, "I brought you something."

Pam brought out a small wrapped bag from her purse and handed it to Booth, who began to unwrap it. He pulled out a pair of green socks, the rest fell to the floor. He looked at them confused and then back up at her, "Okay…"

Pam told him happily, "I know you've got a thing for socks."

Booth looked at her, definitely concerned now. "How did you, uh..."

Pam smiled sweetly at him, "I noticed them last time. On the outside, you're this big tough FBI guy... but really you're just like me. Unpredictable. Like Tommy was."

Booth brought his hands up and tried to ward her off. "Please…"

Pam nodded, misunderstanding his plea. "I know. We shouldn't talk about our old flames. Especially when we're just getting to know each other."

Booth put the socks on his desk as he tried to get out of there as fast as possible. "Ms. Nunan, you said you had information about Tommy Sour's murder."

Pam's eyes started to wander around his office as she said, "Really? I have faith you'll find out who killed him. And Tommy wouldn't want me to grieve forever. Look at all these commendations... You're really great at your job, aren't you?" She bent down ot pick up the socks that had fallen and hand them to Booth, moving closer to him. "It's one of the reasons I'm drawn to you."

Booth backed away immediately and raised his hands up to ward her off. "Ma'am, this is way inappropriate."

Pam laughed at his words. "Ma'am! That is so cute! I can't wait to tell my mom you just said that. Well. Bye for now."

Booth watched her warily as she left. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He just knew that whatever Pam was thinking was going to be bad for him and if he didn't do something soon to fix it, Brennan as well. Because Pam was already jealous of his wife and once she found out that there was no way in hell that they were getting together, it wouldn't be long until she figured out why. Damn.

~BONES~

Brennan heard Booth open and close the door as he walked into their apartment. She called out from their bedroom, "What did Pam tell you?" However, Booth didn't answer her. Brennan looked up from her spot on their bed, where she had been reading a journal, when Booth walked in. He looked…worried. "What is it Booth? What happened?"

But Booth still didn't answer her. Instead he walked over to her, leaned down, and started to kiss her senselessly. She didn't know what had gotten into him, but she responded in return eagerly.

Booth had thought hard on his drive back home. For some very strange reason though, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He knew that he needed to keep his senses alert for any sign that he was being followed. Pam was unstable. Just like Sweets said. But when he had stepped into his home and heard his wife's voice, the only thing he felt was a violent need to be with her. So that's what landed them in their position. Her magazine was thrown haphazardly to the ground as he worked her top off and she worked his buckle, pants, and boxers off – because somehow his shirt was no longer on him.

Their tongues slid against each other in a provocative dance as his pelvis grounded down into hers slightly. Brennan moaned into his mouth, before he broke away for a gulp of air and then he descended down to her breasts. He kissed, licked, and sucked both of them until her nipples were hard peaks. Brennan threaded her fingers through his hair as she moaned loudly, feeling two of his fingers enter her core. "Oh God, Booth!"

Booth kissed his way up to her neck as he whispered roughly into her ear, "I love you so much, baby. So much."

Brennan nodded her agreement as one of her hand slid between their bodies and she fisted him, stroking him once and then twice as he increased his own movement in her center. Booth rubbed his thumb over her clit, which undid her immediately. She screamed out his name as she fisted him a little bit harder. Booth though didn't want to come in her hand.

He pushed her hand away from him as he leaned over her still flushed body. Her climax had just started to subside when he rammed into her suddenly. The new sensations sent her very close to again and when he stroked out and back in, hitting both her g-spot and clit, she screamed again in ecstasy. Booth pumped into her three more times before he buried himself to the hilt in her as his own orgasm took over him. He groaned her name loudly, his arms giving out on him as he collapsed on top of her.

He stayed like that only for a few seconds though before he rolled off onto his side of the bed, tugging her into his side in the process. He heard her contented sigh and his mind cleared in that moment of everything that happened. He would worry about that tomorrow. Right now, he was going to enjoy to feel of his woman in his arms.

~BONES~

Booth walked into Brennan's office to find her and Sweets watching some type of video. "What are you watching?"

Brennan looked at Booth and smiled at him. "Oh, Dr. Sweets found Tommy Sour's MySpace video."

Booth watched the video a little longer before he shrugged his shoulders. "He's got an okay voice. But he's trying a bit hard, don't you think?"

Sweets nodded, "Yeah, there are two types of performers. Presentational singers crave attention, it's ego-driven. The representational singer wants the audience to feel. It's about invoking a cathartic experience."

Booth didn't need to hear the kid's psychological jibber-jabber, "He's showing off"

Sweets nodded again. "Presentational. Easy on the eyes, easy to forget. One hit wonder at best. Like Chumbawamba."

Brennan looked at him confused, "Chumba-whata?"

Sweets looked at Booth for help, but saw he was going to get none there. "Tubthumping? Oh come on, are you serious? It's a great song! It's anthemic!"

Brennan narrowed her eyes and asked, "So this is all simple psychology to you?"

Sweets answered, "People's actions are motivated by their need. When we discover our needs, we discover who we are. So yes."

Brennan shook her head. That was why she hated psychology. "No, society makes us who we are, not psychology. Society shapes our actions. Culture compels us, not some toilet training mishap."

It was too early in the morning for Booth for this. He pulled Sweets chair to the side and grabbed his own to place in between the two of them. He had left before Brennan awakened to get a jump start on his plan of action. He had asked Charlie to find any files, complaints, etc. on Pam. "Okay, look, I'm just going to break you two up, you're giving me a headache. If you keep this fighting up, no one's getting dessert."

Sweets smiled as he said, "Aw, we're not fighting. It's just a collegial debate, right?"

Brennan looked at him, still not sure if she should agree with him or not. "Right." She then remembered that Booth never had answered her question last night. Having mind-blowing sex did that to her. "How'd it go with Pam?"

Sweets saw Booth's hesitation and knew instantly something wasn't right. "Wait, you saw her again?"

Booth tried to act like it was nothing. "What's the big deal Sweets? She just gave me a pair of socks!" Brennan laughed suddenly at that. The woman gave him socks. That was funny. Booth looked at her and said semi-seriously, "What? It's not funny."

Sweets shook his head and agreed, "It's not funny."

Brennan smiled at them both as she asked, "Why did I laugh?"

Sweets sighed as he tried to explain, "Pam Nunan controls your emotional agenda through seeming vulnerability followed by generosity. It's classic manipulation."

Booth threw his hands up and said, "Then I'll just mail the socks back."

Brennan then noticed something on the screen, "Look! Tommy was about to release a CD."

Booth read the title of it, "'I Can't Do Better Than You'."

Brennan looked at the two men as she pointed out, "Wonder if Pam thought that was meant for her."

Sweets had to agree with that, "Yeah, she probably saw secret messages in all of his songs."

Brennan smiled slightly as she remembered what it was like when she was like Tommy. "Until I was thirteen, I wanted to be the next Cindy Lauper."

Booth hadn't known that about her. He knew that she loved Cyndi, but to be her. "I'd say you're kidding, but I don't think you know how to kid."

Brennan laughed as told them, "The other girls and I referred to her as 'rad'. My mother said that I sang just as well."

Booth knew that she sang better than Cyndi. But he couldn't help but tease. "As well as Cindy Lauper?"

Brennan said defensively, "Yes." Booth knew how well she sang.

Sweets smiled at Brennan as he told her, "Mother's do that. It's healthy."

Brennan shook her head as she told them earnestly, "No, this wasn't just flattery. My mother told me that I sang 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' better than she did."

Booth chuckled at her tone. She always became very vocal about her singing when it was challenged. Sweets shook his head as he told her, "It was an expression of affection, Dr. Brennan. Not an objective evaluation of your abilities."

Brennan narrowed her eyes on him and told him boldly, "Well, I think you're wrong."

This was exactly what Booth needed. His wife's voice was gorgeous and it always made him feel better. "Okay then. Go ahead. Belt it out."

Brennan shot him a look of surprise. "No!"

Sweets definitely wanted to hear this. "Yeah! Come on, give us a few bars."

Brennan crossed her arms and refused, "Absolutely not!"

Booth smiled charmingly at her and tried to persuade her. "Yeah, come on!"

Brennan tried to hold back her smile as she told them, "I can't just burst into song! I have to have music, and... an appropriate atmosphere... of frivolity."

Booth laughed as he shook his head. "Diva! Forensic genius, bestselling author, better than Cindy Lauper..."

Sweets however cut Booth off when he noticed a man on the screen.

~BONES~

Brennan had no clue why Booth had told her to meet him at the Checker Box. She had been just finishing up the file at work when she got his call. Brennan looked around surprised to see everyone there.

Booth saw his wife enter and started to walk over to her as she asked confused, "What's going on? Why did you call me here, Booth?"

Booth smiled broadly at her. "Your need to sing in front of a live audience, it's innate Bones." He then leaned in a whispered, "I love your voice, babe. You should sing more often."

Brennan looked at him in disbelief. A smile formed on her face as she laughed, "No way..."

Booth clapped his hands together, eager to hear her sing. "Hey, I've got the music, the frivolity. What else do you need?"

The others started clapping and cheering her on, as Hodgins yelled out, "Come on Dr. Brennan, you can do it! We're here for you, we're here for you!"

The pianist started playing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cindy Lauper, as Sweets pushed her in the direction of the stage, "You're very controlled Dr. Brennan, I think it would be a good idea for you to let yourself go."

Brennan gave him a look. "Really? What about you?"

Sweets raised his hands in defense, "Hey, I will be singing 'Lime in Da Coconut' after you. You will be extremely impressed. As was my Abnormal Psychology class in college. This opportunity is a gift from Agent Booth. Trust yourself, trust your friends. Let 'er rip, let's hear it!"

Everyone was still cheering her on as Brennan allowed herself to be pushed onto the stage. She grinned bemusedly at her friends. After a moment's pause, she removed her jacket to the wild applause of her friends, grabbed the microphone and began to sing. "Come home, in the morning light, my mother says 'When you gonna live your life right?'..."

Pam entered the facility looking for Booth as Brennan continued to sing, "Oh mama dear we're not the fortunate ones, and girls they wanna have fun..." Booth smiled at Brennan, happy to see her so free. She was always like that when she sang. He playfully pulled out his lighter and swayed it to the music. The others laughed and a few joined him as Brennan continued to sing, "Oh girls just wanna have fun!" Everyone cheered as they watched Brennan dance on stage.

Pam watched on by the bar, depressed and nervous, as Brennan continued with the song, "The phone rings, in the middle of the night my father yells 'What you gonna do with your life?'...Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one, but girls they wanna have fun..." Everyone couldn't believe what they're seeing. They laughed at Brennan's energy and enthusiasm, enjoying every second. Booth in particular, was dancing freely to his wife's singing in his chair. It reminded him of the jazz club he took her to a few years back. Pam however, was staring at Booth with disgust as she whispered, "Look at me. Not her."

But everyone was unaware of her as Brennan sang the next line, "Oh girls just want to have... that's all they really want, ohh-ohhh-ohhha!"

Pam couldn't take it anymore. She reached into her bag and pulled out a gun. She then yelled, "Seeley!" But he couldn't hear her over Brennan's singing. So she yelled louder, "SEELEY!" Booth looked behind him and saw Pam as she said, "I'm doing this for us." She cocked her gun and aimed it directly at Brennan, who was still singing and dancing.

Booth's instincts to protect his wife went into overdrive as he drew his weapon. But he knew it was too late to shoot, so he instead leapt from his seat to get in the way of Pam's gun, blocking Brennan from the bullet. Pam fired the gun and Booth felt the pain instantly as the bullet pierced through his chest. He stumbled backwards in shock as he looked down at the wound.

Everything stopped in that moment for Brennan. She looked up to see Pam's gun aimed at Booth and knew instantly. She vaguely heard people screaming, but she paid no attention to that as she watched Booth fall backwards, as Pam stared shocked and horrified at what just happened. Brennan jumped off the stage to be at his side. She needed to help him! She knelt down and whispered to Booth desperately, "You're going to be fine Seeley."

Pam was still horrified, but became outraged when she saw Brennan rushing to Booth's aid. She aimed her gun again, but Brennan looked up in that moment and saw what she was intending to do. She grabbed her husband's abandoned gun and fired it at Pam, shooting her in the throat before she turned her attention back to Booth. Everyone didn't know what to do for a few seconds due to shock, but then their minds started to work again and they jumped into action. Hodgins yelled, "Zach! Call 911!"

Brennan was kneeling over Booth, who was blinking up at the ceiling with a dazed expression – clearly not seeing much of anything, as she applied pressure to the wound. Brennan was calling out to him, becoming more and more desperate when he didn't answer her. But Booth couldn't think. He felt the pain of the gunshot and he heard Brennan's cries for him. But his mind was in a haze. Everything was starting to get blurry on the edges.

Brennan felt Booth's blood seeping through her fingers as tears started to fall from her eyes. She kept on talking to him though, in efforts to keep him awake, but it was almost like a whisper – like a secret between the two was being told. "Seeley, you're going to be fine. I'm right here. Oh god. You're gonna do this. You're gonna be fine. You're going to make this. Come on Booth, don't you dare leave me." Brennan saw that Booth was blinking slower and slower. She leaned down and hugged him fiercely, whispering in his ear. "Come on. Come on, Booth. You're gonna make it." When she felt his breathing slow, she applied more pressure as she let go of him.

"COME ON! COME ON, BOOTH! COME ON! Come on come on come on. You're gonna make this, come on. Oh god." She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't. "You're gonna do this. Come on! COME ON! Come on Booth! It's gonna be fine, come on Booth."

Booth wanted to comfort his wife. He wanted to take away those tears. But his vision was failing him; it started to go black on the edges. He willed his body to bring his hand up to cup Brennan's cheek, but it wouldn't budge. The last thing he saw before his vision completely failed was Brennan's petrified expression with her yelling, "Come on Booth, no. No, come on Booth... COME ON BOOTH!"

* * *

 **A/N2: Oh dear! Now that Cyndi Lauper is officially ruined for the two of them, what will Brennan do? Click that next button to find out. That's right the next chapter is already up. But WAIT! Review first to tell me what you thought of this chapter. You know you want to :).**

 **And if anyone thought that Brennan was too nonchalant about Booth eyeing the other woman, well…that is how I always pictured her reacting. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right. I can't imagine her getting all angry over that…unless a woman was hitting on Booth, THEN I can see her getting possessive. But she knows that Booth is her man…and all the woman out there, have none of you looked at a man because he was hot? Why is it so different when a man does it then? I hate double-standards and I know Brennan does to. Thank you.**


	16. Chapter Break 14

**Chapter 14.5 – The Crushing Truth**

Brennan was staring off into space as she sat in one of the hard OR waiting room chairs. Booth had just been wheeled off to surgery ten minutes ago and they wouldn't let her be in the room with him. So there she was – blood stained hands, blood stained clothes – just waiting for the doctor to come out. She heard the doors open and looked up hopeful that it was an update on Booth, but knew rationally that it was way too soon for that. She watched as her team came rushing in, swooping in on her for information and comfort. Angela pushed through the group and rushed over to Brennan, taking everything in.

Brennan looked so pale, a little too pale. Her usual radiant blue eyes had become a dull lifeless grey. She looked so lost. And then she saw her blood stained hands and clothes. Angela sat down in the chair next to Brennan as Hodgins sat on the other side of her, the rest of the team sat in the seats in front of her. Angela sat there for a few minutes, waiting for Brennan to acknowledge them. When she didn't even move Angela touched her arm gently and just said, "Sweetie."

Brennan turned to look at her and Angela was shocked to see how much emotion had come to life in them. Before her eyes were grey and now they looked like a deep blue sapphire. "Oh, Bren I'm so sorry." She then engulfed her in her arms and just held her as she felt her shirt grow gradually wet from her tears. Brennan dared to whisper to her best friend so only she could hear it, "I'm scared Angela." That made Angela just hug her even tighter.

Brennan indulged herself in the warmth of her arms for a few more seconds before she pushed herself away and wiped away her tears away with the back of her forearm. She looked at the group around her and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Sweets jumped in and said, "Dr. Brennan, you don't have to be sorry for letting your emotions express themselves. We're all here for each other."

Brennan nodded her head slowly. She had already decided that she needed to regain her imperiousness at the moment. She needed to be strong. She took in a deep breath and brought up her walls as she told them, "Booth has been taken into surgery to repair the damage caused by the bullet. They estimate the surgery to last about two hours." She glanced up at the clock on the wall, not wanting to see Booth's blood on her hands. "I estimate we should get news within the next hour to hour and a half. The doctor seemed quite optimistic on the outcome." She nodded her head, willing it to be true.

Angela squeezed her arm and said softly, "Come on Bren, let me help you get cleaned up."

Brennan finally allowed herself to look down and she instantly grew pale. There was so much blood. She numbly nodded her head in agreement, allowing Angela to lead her to the bathroom.

~BONES~

They had let her use their showers to wash off all the blood and had given her some scrubs to wear instead of her dirty clothes, which Angela immediately threw away. Now Brennan was lying uncomfortably on her back in the OR waiting room chairs with her head in Angela's lap. She needed to feel some kind of warmth because she felt so cold inside. Angela slowly brushed her fingers through Brennan's hair over and over again, trying to comfort her the best way she could.

Angela thought to herself how tragic it was for Brennan and Booth's relationship to come to this. She herself just found out about there relationship and now this happens. Can't they get a break.

It had been over two hours since Booth was brought in and Brennan was starting to get nervous. Something deep within her – and Brennan thought immediately of her husband telling her that that would be her "gut" talking to her – told her that something had gone seriously wrong because this should be a simple surgery. She'd seen enough of them before on her trips around the world. A bullet retrieval, patching up any muscle and/or tissue damage and that should be it. But now it was past two hours and she just knew that something was wrong. She looked at the clock and saw that it had been three hours since they'd taken Booth into surgery.

Brennan looked up at her friend and whispered, "Ange?"

Angela looked down and tried to smiled at her, "Yeah Bren."

Tears instantly started to form as she spoke her worst fear aloud, "Something isn't right. We should have heard something by now."

Angela grew worried at Brennan's statement, because Brennan never said or did anything that wasn't rational. "Oh, sweetie…"

However she was cut off by a doctor coming though the doors and calling out, "Dr. Temperance Brennan-B…"

Brennan sat up immediately. One, trying to stop the doctor from announcing to everyone at a moment like this that she and Booth were married and two, she wanted to know what was going on with Booth. "That's me."

The doctor looked at the group looking at her eagerly. She had never been put in a position like this before, to actually lie to her patient's family and friends. His wife was going to be devastated. She put on her best face and introduced herself, "I'm Dr. Summers, I was one of the surgeons working on your…"

Brennan cut her off again, knowing which word was about to leave her lips, "How is Booth? Can I see him?"

Dr. Summers couldn't hide the sadness that came into her eyes and Brennan saw it immediately. "Temperance, can I speak with you alone?"

Angela got up about to say that they were all of his family when Brennan placed a hand on her arm to stop her, "It's okay Ange." She looked at the doctor and nodded her head, following her through the doors into a small hallway.

Dr. Summers waited for the thick wooden door to close behind them before she began the planned out speech she'd been given to tell her friends and…how did the FBI put it, partner. Although by her records, Temperance wasn't just Booth's partner, but his wife. However she didn't talk logistics with the men. She tweaked the speech a little as she went. "Temperance, when your par…husband came in we thought at first that the bullet had not done that much damage. Unfortunately, when we started to retrieve the bullet we saw how extensive the damage was. We found that the bullet had grazed Seeley's subclavian artery. We tried to stop the blood loss and repair the vessel, but there had already been a substantial amount of blood loss before he came in." Brennan looked at her and murmured a strangled, 'No', while the doctor continued, "I'm so sorry to tell you Temperance, but your husband didn't make it. We tried to save him, but we couldn't."

Brennan backed up against the wall behind her and slid down, finally allowing herself to just let go. If she had just this one moment to break down alone, she would take it. She brought her legs to her chest and rested her head against her knees, crying her heart and soul out silently.

Dr. Summers, for one, had never seen anyone react so strongly before. In her time as a surgeon, she's had to deliver bad news just like this. True people mourned for their loss, but with Temperance, it looked like she just lost her heart. Dr. Summers came up beside her and heard Brennan mumble, "I can't live without him. It hurts too much. It's not true."

In that moment the doctor's heart broke for the woman in front of her. She whispered, placing a comforting hand on her arm, "You'll be able to survive this. I can see that you're a strong woman. You'll make it through this. I know that for sure." After a moment, the tears started to lessen leaving her with only sniffles. Dr. Summers asked softly, "Would you like me to tell the rest of your friends the news?"

Brennan looked at her through red rimmed eyes and shook her head, "No, I should be the one to tell them." She shakily got up with the doctor's help and thanked her for being so kind to her. Brennan hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Can I see him? Please?" The doctor shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry, but we can't allow that." Brennan nodded numbly as she started to walk away. Dr. Summers watched as Brennan pushed open the door into the waiting room, her heart clenching in pure agony at the horrible lie she just inflicted on that family.

~BONES~

Everyone looked up at the sound of the door opening, hoping to see a relieved Brennan coming through them. However, what they saw shocked them to their core. Brennan stood before them, looking like a lost little girl and in that moment they all could imagine a fifteen year-old Brennan scared and alone in foster care. Angela's hand flew out to grab onto Hodgins', while Cam grabbed Sweets' and Zach's hand. Brennan let out a shaky, steadying breath before she told them with a shake of her head, "He didn't make it. Booth is…" And that's when she felt the full weight of the truth, "He's dead."

Angela immediately started to cry as she ran up to hug her friend. Sweets was comforting Cam, keeping a watchful eye on Brennan. Angela however was surprised when Brennan didn't return her hug. Brennan's arms just hung by her side, lifeless, as if she were dead too. It scared her more than anything.

Hodgins, for once, didn't know what to do. His friend just lost her husband. A husband he found out about only about a year ago. How could he comfort her without giving it away? Did it even matter now? He was about to give Brennan a hug when she pulled away from Angela and said in a distant tone, "I have to go home. I'll see you guys tomorrow at work."

Cam gained control over her own emotions and said just audibly, "Dr. Brennan you don't have to come in tomorrow. None of us do. I'm giving everyone as much time off as they need." The only response she got though was a slight nod from Brennan as she walked past everyone.

As far as Brennan was concerned, she died with Booth. And that scared her.

~BONES~

Brennan had forgotten that she had rode in the ambulance to the hospital, so she was now walking home. But she really didn't care. She couldn't feel the cold wind against her skin or the dull ache in her feet as she walked. All she could feel was the constant pain in her heart.

She had never felt like that before. For her heart to actually physically ache. Now she understood all the things Booth had said about heartache. And then she started to cry.

Just thinking about Booth made the pain more intense. It felt as if she couldn't breathe. When she finally made it to their place, she stripped off the scrubs that reminded her of just everything that hurt and pulled out one of Booth's sweatpants and FBI t-shirts. She slowly unclasped her necklace that held her rings and slid them on. She knew that doing all of that would not bring him back, but it felt like he was surrounding her. His clothes smelt like him. Those rings made her think of their happy times together. As she slid into their bed on her side, she slowly grabbed his pillow and laid her head on it, taking in his scent.

She just laid there, soon realizing that she was crying and she didn't care. That night she cried out for her loss. That night she cried herself to sleep.

~BONES~

Brennan didn't know what time it was. All she knew was that she didn't want to move, but their stupid – no her stupid phone was ringing. There was no more their. Brennan let the phone ring as it went to voicemail. She heard, through her closed door, Hodgins' voice, "Hey Dr. B. It's Jack, Jack Hodgins. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you. I can't imagine what you're going through. Angie's worried about you and I'm worried about you. If you need anything just call me. I know that not many people know about you and Booth, so I'm here for you. I'm so sorry Dr. Brennan. We're all here for you. Bye."

Brennan had slowly sat up while listening to Hodgins' voice. She hurt. All over. Never before had she thought it would be possible to physically be in pain from losing someone she loved. She still loved. It once scared her, to the point of running, of the thought of loving someone for 30, 40, or 50 years. But now she knew that she would never love anyone like she loved Booth. She figuratively gave her heart to him and now she was lost. She needed to find herself. She needed her heart back to bring those walls up again, but Booth took it with him. She was never going to get it back.

She slowly swung her legs to the floor, feeling the coolness seep into her body. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only 8:00 AM. Relatively late for her to be waking up on a regular day. But then again, it was not a regular day. It was the day after finding out her husband was dead, killed by a psycho bitch. She was satisfied that she was the one to put the bullet in that bitch's throat, but it still didn't change the fact that Booth was dead. Nothing changed that.

Brennan knew she needed to make phone calls. She needed to call Parker and tell him that his daddy loved him very much and that she would always be there for him. She needed to call Booth's family and let them know of what happened. Yet she just sat there and stared into space. She didn't want to think. But soon the urge to urinate overcame her and Brennan slowly stood up and made her way into their – no, her bathroom. She used the washroom, stripped off his clothing and stepped into the bathtub, turning the water on as hot as she could take it.

Brennan made a move for her shampoo when her hand collided with his. It would probably be bad for her hair, but she would smell like him and that was all she cared about. She slowly poured some of his shampoo onto her hand and lathered it in her hair, his scent filling the whole bathroom. She knew she was acting foolish, she wasn't acting rational. But whenever it came to her relationship and feelings for Booth it never was rational.

As she finished her shower and towel dried, she let her hair hang loosely as she made her way to the closet as she slid on a pair of his boxers over her own underwear. She grabbed one of his dress shirts and jacket as she gently pulled them both on, buttoning the shirt up. Brennan didn't want to move, but she knew that she needed to. She needed some normalcy to keep her sane. She made her way to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee – just the way he liked it. She made his favorite breakfast as well – bacon, eggs, and pancakes. She had been a vegetarian for some time, yet the smell of the bacon soothed her. It made her feel at home.

His clothing was making it hard to move around her arms, but she really didn't care. Booth surrounded her this way. It was as if he was standing behind her like he always did when she cooked breakfast, hugging her around the waist and placing soft kisses on her neck.

Brennan had just finished making pancakes when there was a knock at her door. She slowly made her way to it and looked through the peep-hole. Surprised at who was there she opened the door halfway, only really showing her head. "Dr. Hodgins, what are you doing here?"

Hodgins looked at Brennan's face. It looked…haunted. Her eyes were puffy, red-rimmed, and she looked pale. "Hey Dr. Brennan. Angie just fell asleep and I thought I'd stop by and see if you needed anything."

Brennan could see his concern for her written all over his face. He was one of the few co-workers that knew about her relationship with Booth. She was very grateful for that now. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yeah, sure. It smells good in here. I thought you were a vegetarian."

She smiled sadly at him as she closed the door and led him to the kitchen. "I am." She hated it that her voice caught at her next sentence. "But this was Booth's favorite breakfast." Brennan turned away from Jack as she piled the pancakes, eggs and bacon onto a plate for him. She didn't want him to see her so weak. She whispered, hoping he would hear her and yet hoping he wouldn't as well, "I just wanted to be closer to him. I know it's irrational…"

Hodgins had started to make his way to her when he heard her voice catch. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. If he ever lost Angela, he would die. And he wasn't even married to her yet. Brennan looked so vulnerable and alone. Hodgins would have never guessed Brennan would have reacted like this. Not that he looked down on her now, but when he saw her dressed in Booth's clothing, making Booth's favorite breakfast, he finally saw how much Booth meant to his friend. He touched her shoulder silently and brought her into a fierce hug. "It's not irrational Dr. Brennan. You miss him and you want him to live through all your memories."

Brennan hugged him back as she sobbed, "It hurts so much. I just can't function anymore. I don't want to function anymore. That scares me. What will I do without him? What am I going to do?"

Hodgins had comforted Angela the night before. She had cried for so long. She lost one of her friends. He could deal with that. He knew what she was going through. But this, what could he say to Brennan to make her feel better? Could he say anything? "Dr. B, you're going to make it through this. You're a strong woman. It'll take time, but you'll be able to function again. I'm not saying that you will ever get over Booth, but in time you'll be able to look back and think of all the good times you had with him. All the good times we had with him."

Brennan silently nodded her head as she pulled away wiping her tears from her face. "Thank you Jack, I honestly don't know what I would do without someone to talk to about this. I still have so much to do as it is." She placed a small pancake on her plate and some fruit, fiddling with it as she sniffled, "I have to call Parker and Rebecca, his grandfather, and his brother. I don't even know what I'm going to tell Parks. He'll be devastated. He always looked up to his dad. Seeley was his hero…" She then whispered softly, almost so soft that Hodgins wouldn't have heard her, "Mine too."

Hodgins ate a forkful of pancakes – Man, Dr. B can cook! – and swallowed before he told her gently, "Dr. B, we'll help you. Angie and I can make some of those lesser calls. Get started on the funeral service. Whatever you need, you know I'm here for you."

Brennan nodded, "I know. Thank you." They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, Hodgins eating as Brennan moved her food around her plate not really being hungry anymore. She then said softly, "I'm not going."

Hodgins looked up at her confused from his plate. "Going where?"

Brennan speared a piece of strawberry, "To his funeral. I-I just can't. I know that sounds cold, but I can't watch them bury him. I'm afraid that if I see that, part of me will be buried with him." She then looked up at Hodgins, tears shimmering in her eyes, "I physically hurt right now, Hodgins. I can actually feel my heart aching. When the doctor told me he didn't make it I felt a little portion of me just stop and grow cold. I'll arrange for everything, but I just-I can't be there. Not when he's buried. I just can't." The last part came out a little choked and Hodgins brought his hand out and grasped her hand gently.

"Brennan, that doesn't sound cold, it sounds like a woman who is mourning. And if you don't want to go then I won't force you. Like I said, I can't imagine what you're going through. If I ever lost Angela, I would want to die. I do however understand what it is like to love somebody with your whole-being. I do understand that and I can tell you that – from what I've seen – Booth loved you very much."

She looked at him surprised, "How could you tell?"

Hodgins smiled slightly, "A man can tell when another man loves a woman. Just by the way he acted around you. He always seemed less tense when you were there on a bad case. Or when he was stressing over not being able to crack the case wide opened, you'd always give him this look. I don't even think you realized you did it, but whenever you gave him that look you'd lean toward him slightly, and I think he always took comfort in the fact that you were in it together. Then there were those moments that you thought no one was looking and you'd touch him. Just a simple touch and his shoulders would loosen and face would relax. He needed you just as much as you needed him. I didn't think anything of it at first – just two partners that knew a lot about each other. But when you told me about you guys, it all clicked. And I finally understood why everything you did seemed so…intimate. Because it was. Every time he talked about you his eyes lit up and he got this stupid smile on his face that every man gets when he talks about the woman he loves. And each time you two talked it was like the world around you didn't exist.

"What you guys had is something all of us search for, but only a few find. You found your other half. You completed each other." Hodgins saw a tear slip out from her eye and he smiled sadly at her as he told her the truth, "And Dr. B. It's gonna hurt because when you lose half yourself you don't know how to compensate for that. But in time, after you find out how to function with that knowledge, you'll be able live life again. You probably will never stop loving Booth. But therein lies the painful truth about love. It's a burden."

Brennan smiled sadly as another tear slipped past her eyelashes as she thought about what he said and whispered in return, "Like wings, they have weight, we feel that weight on our backs, but they are a burden that lifts us. Burdens that allow us to fly."

Hodgins laughed softly, "Yeah, exactly."

Brennan placed her fork on her plate and walked over to Hodgins and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Hodgins. Thank you so much."

Hodgins hugged her back and rubbed soft circles on her back soothingly. "You're welcome Dr. B." After a few more seconds, she pulled away and wiped the last residue of tears from underneath her eyes and was able to actual give a genuine smile. Hodgins could see that his words had helped her. How they had, he didn't know. But he was glad he decided to come here while Angela slept. Which reminded him… "Dr. B, I have to get back to Angie. I didn't tell her I was coming, since she doesn't know about you and Booth…and I should get back before she wakes up. But if you need anything, just call."

Brennan nodded her head and followed Hodgins toward her door. He slipped on the coat that he had discarded earlier and smiled at her, "Thanks for the food, it was great."

She laughed softly, "Your welcome, Dr. Hodgins."

He pulled her into another hug before stepping past the threshold into the hallway and waved, "I'll see you later."

Brennan waved back. "Yeah, see you later. And thank you Jack." She gently closed her door and pressed her back against it. She inhaled deeply and smelt Booth surrounding her…and this time it didn't hurt as much. Hodgins' words had brought comfort to her that she didn't know she needed. Booth had always told her that he needed her, but hearing it from Hodgins' viewpoint and what he witnessed between them…it helped her see that she had helped Booth.

Booth had saved her, in so many ways, and she always wanted to save him somehow. She never thought that the little things she did when she knew Booth was distressed or angry brought such a change in him. That comforted her to know that she had comforted him. It hurt deeply that she wasn't strong enough to save him from his own death – like he had saved her multiple times – but she took comfort in knowing that she was still able to save him from the smaller things.

As she walked into their bedroom – it would always be theirs – she looked around and saw all their times in there. The fights, the comforts, and most of all, the love. Like a reel of film, each moment passed before her and she clung to them. Hodgins was right, she would never stop loving Booth. He was the only man she ever did love. The one man that showed her how to love, how to believe in love. She would never love someone like she loved Booth and she could say that as a fact. But with that knowledge, she knew that could rebuild her life again. It would take time, a lot of time. However, she knew Booth would want her to live a full life. So she would try to live as full a life as possible without her other half. And that started with one step. One step at a time.

~BONES~

It had been a week since the incident. Things were getting back to rhythm at work. She went in to identified bodies from limbo and went back home. It still hurt. She hadn't gotten rid of any of his things and she had talked with Rebecca briefly. She sounded surprised for some reason as to her call, but then she consoled Brennan and she told Rebecca that she'd always be there for Parker. She hadn't been able to reach Jared and Pops was on a long vacation with some of his Army buddies. She couldn't reach him since he didn't have a cell phone. Just one more week before it was officially impossible to believe anything else. Next week would be his funeral. She and Hodgins had talked later on after his visit and they agreed that he would be the one to tell her it was time for the funeral but would say no more. He kept his word, he wouldn't force her. She was very grateful for that.

She also had a lunch meeting with Gordon Gordon. She was never one to believe in psychology, but he had helped them before. Perhaps he could help her again. To lessen the pain. Hopefully. Like she said, one step at a time. One step at a time.

* * *

 **A/N2: So there it is guys. How'd I do? I think that Brennan really would have thought of those words before TEitB, but that's just me. You know, you say things and then when you write it just fits. With all the emotions, everything. I hope I did this chapter justice. I put some of my emotions into it by how I felt when I lost someone extremely close to me (he was like my brother) and I hope I didn't make Brennan too OOC for this. But then again death can make you do very irrational and illogical things. However I just feel that this is what she went through behind the black screen. I didn't go into the whole two weeks, because Brennan being Brennan would try to regain any semblance of normalcy back, especially at work. I had actually planned for Gordon Gordon to be the one to find her the day after. One more chapter before the third (THIRD!) book is over. Can you believe it? I sure can't. It seems just like yesterday that I started this. Anyways, reviews are always welcomed and cherished. With all my love, go and capture each moment like it's your last. You never know when it might happen.**


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – The Pain in the Heart**

Brennan watched in horror as Booth was shot by Pam Nunan and fall to the ground. Brennan was leaning over him again, trying to staunch the blood with her hand as she yelled at him, "Booth, you're gonna be fine. Really. Come on. Come on, Booth. It's gonna be fine. Come on, Booth. Come on, Booth. No! Oh, come on..." She then watched as Booth's eyes closed and his body went limp…

Brennan jolted awake with a gasping breath. She sat up in bed and looked around as she regained her bearings. It was still fairly dark out, only a few rays of light made their way through her curtains. Brennan turned to look at the clock and saw that it was only 5:00 in the morning. She sighed heavily and slowly – so very slowly – she turned her head to look at 'his' side of the bed. She could see that she had curled into his pillow again last night, but other than that it was undisturbed.

Brennan just sat there – as was her new ritual – and let the news sink in, again. Her husband was dead and today…Today was his funeral. She sniffed one time before she pushed all those thoughts out of the forefront of her mind. She was slowly starting to compartmentalize all that had happened. Cam had given her a week off – which she gladly took to get all his affairs into order. Now all that was left to do was pack his things away. Which she would later tonight (because even if it was irrational, she wasn't going to accept any of this until she knew she could never see him again).

Brennan pushed off the sheets and slipped her feet onto the cold floor. She grabbed her jogging pants out of her drawer and one of his FBI shirts out of his. She put her hair into a sloppy ponytail, her shoes on, and her earbuds into her ears. She scrolled through Booth's iPod that was strapped to her arm, finding his workout playlist and hit play. Then she was off. Eight mile run, back home, 30 minutes of Pilates, shower (still his shampoo, but hers as well), breakfast (fruit and oatmeal), get dressed for work, and back out the door heading to work. That was her routine. That was the time she gave herself to build up her imperviousness. Because every night she fell asleep she lost that by her dreams. Whether they be good or bad, she always dreamt of him.

And so, when she walked into the Jeffersonian, threw on her lab coat and walked onto the platform to set the remains awaiting her, it was just barely 7:15 AM. No one else was there, which allowed her to build herself up for what she knew was going to be a hard day. She had already set the remains on the examining table and had just started her preliminary findings when everyone started to walk in. Zack came on the platform five minutes later with a cup of coffee in hand for her. They exchanged pleasantries, but then went back to work. Another hour passed by as they worked. She had just started to tell Zack something when she heard them walk onto the platform. Brennan ignored the group as best as possible as she told Zack, "The carbon isotopic composition of the collagen, shows a value of minus 16%."

Zack nodded, "Supporting the theory that the deceased was born in Provence, France."

Brennan saw Hodgins stand next to her as she told Zach, "In the 16th century..."

And just as they planned Hodgins was the one to deliver that final blow to her. He spoke softly, "It's time, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan ignored him though as she fought back an onslaught of tears. "The metacarpal phalangeal joints are smooth, showing dexterity. Perhaps a musician…"

Cam shook her head as she watched her anthropologist work. She had noticed that for the past week, Brennan had been overtly clinical. No signs of any emotions. She was neither happy or sad, angry or depressed. She just…existed. "That's enough. We're going. Now."

Brennan snapped back at her, "I have remains to identify. He could have a family."

Angela shook her own head as she told her best friend. "He's 500 years old. They've probably adjusted by now."

Brennan's grip on her imperviousness was slipping. She could feel her walls start to crack. She told them firmly, "I'm not going. I've already made that clear."

Sweets sighed as he said gently, "It's Agent Booth's funeral, Dr. Brennan. Losing a loved one is…"

Brennan snapped. Sweets had no clue what she was going through. "A partner, Sweets. I lost a partner." In every sense of that word.

Sweets of course took that to mean as only a work partner and conceded the point. "Someone close to you. The funeral allows you to grieve so you can come to terms with his death."

Brennan stood up straight as she almost yelled back at him. "The Arunta Aboriginal tribe in Australia grieve by burning down their village and – and moving to a new one. That seems no crazier to me than gathering around a hole in the ground."

Sweets tried to placate her. "Being hostile won't…"

Angela interrupted as she placed a soothing hand on Brennan's arm. "Brennan...a word."

Sweets watched Angela pulled her away as he said in irritation, "Excuse me? Professional psychologist."

Angela held up her finger to the kid and then turned to Brennan. "Look. I know how you see things, and I respect that, but I need to ask you a favor." Brennan stiffened as she finally saw Booth's funeral card. Her eyes swelled with tears and her breathing became slow and shallow. She couldn't do this. But then she saw that Angela started to tear-up as well as she told Brennan, "I have to go to the funeral. He's was your husband and I know your not going to get through this alone. I've been crying for, like, days and I know you have too. I really need your shoulder here and I know you need mine. I need my best friend."

Brennan could feel her sadness envelop her again as she looked at Booth's picture. She felt like screaming, crying, and just throwing something. But her friend needed her, and she needed her friend.

~BONES~

Caroline was giving Booth's eulogy. "I knew Seeley Booth. He was a good man who earned my respect and affection. And I don't like many people. Booth had a selfless commitment to his work, first in the military and then the FBI. Two weeks ago, he made the ultimate sacrifice – giving his life to save his," she paused a gave Brennan a knowing look, "partner. And in the brave act, he showed us what greatness we are all capable of."

Brennan needed to be mad at someone. Anger she could deal with. This pain that she had been feeling was too much though. She was beginning to physically hurt again. So she decided to be mad aloud and said to Angela, "That woman was aiming at me and I would have happily taken that bullet."

Angela placed a reassuring hand on Brennan's arm, "I know."

Caroline started to tear up a little bit. "May God's mercy and love shine on Seeley Booth as he takes his place beside the Lord."

Brennan again spoke up, trying to stop herself from crying, "If there were a merciful God, why wouldn't he have saved Booth."

Drums started to play as the officers prepared to fire their weapons. An officer ordered, "Standby. At ease. Aim."

Booth watched as a man started walking toward 'his' coffin, pretending to be an officer. He saw his chance and took it by pushing through Zack and Sweets. He came up to the man and punched him, knocking him to the ground.

Angela looked on at the scene in shock. "What the hell is going on?"

As Booth and the man fought, the casket was pushed to the ground and it opened up, revealing a dummy body inside. Zack explained logically, "They appear to be fighting."

The man and Booth fought on the ground and Brennan watched. She first felt immediate happiness at the sight of her husband alive, but now she just felt…pissed off.

The man punched Booth and that was all Brennan needed to see. If anyone was going to punch Booth, it was going to be her. She ran over to the casket and grabbed the dummy's arm and used it to knock out the man. She immediately started to move toward Booth – looking extremely angry.

Booth got up from the ground and smiled broadly at Brennan. "Bones! Nice shot." He then noticed that she looked pissed at him. "What?"

That was Brennan's breaking point. Without thinking, she punched Booth square in the jaw with all her pent up anger. Booth didn't even see that coming and the punch knocked him down to the ground. Brennan glared at him for a second and then stormed off. Booth cradled his jaw and groaned in pain.

~BONES~

Booth had just caught up with a thoroughly pissed off Brennan in her office. He had walked past their team to get into the office and had tried to get her to talk to him, but she only sent him seething glares and cold looks. Finally as they walked out of her office Booth tried to explain what he thought she already knew, "After I got shot, the Bureau faked my death so I could finally get that guy."

Brennan shook her head. "I don't care."

Booth had thought she would be happy about this. They could finally start letting people know about their relationship. "Look, that was the man I drove underground. He said the only way that we would ever see him again would be at my funeral, so..."

Brennan didn't care if he had done it to catch the most dangerous man alive. She was pissed and nothing was going to make that go away now. "I don't care."

Hodgins could see the tension between the two of them. He understood why Brennan was reacting like that, but he also felt bad for Booth. He tried to diffuse the situation a little. "Who is he?"

Booth told him tensely, "What part of 'National Security' don't you understand, Hodgins?"

Hodgins snorted at that. "'National Security', catch-all phrase for 'we can do anything we want'."

Brennan started to button her lab coat up angrily as she said through clenched teeth, "I knew I shouldn't have gone to that funeral. It was a complete waste of time, just like I said."

Booth had not been expecting that reaction. What the hell had happened the last two weeks for her to be so angry? "Wait a second, you thought that my funeral was a waste of time?"

Cam smiled as she told him, "I thought it was a lovely service, Booth."

Booth smiled a little at her as he said, "Thank you. You know, I expected to see more people though."

Hodgins walked onto the platform with them as he joked, "I always imagined a lot of ex-girlfriends crying."

Booth shook his head and joked back, "Yeah, me too."

Angela walked up behind the men and said, "You guys are pathetic."

Brennan shook her at what they were all saying. Was she the only that was pissed off for not being told. She had gone through hell the last two weeks to only find out that she had been lied to! She told her husband angrily, "Just know I won't be attending your next funeral."

Booth walked up to her as he told her intensely, "Bones, I'm telling you. You were supposed to know that I wasn't really dead. I swear! That's why I thought you weren't crying!"

Cam lifted her brow at that. Only Brennan was suppose to find out from his whole team? Interesting. "Informed by who, exactly?"

Booth was so happy she asked – although that tone said she was getting somewhere with it. "I gave a list of people to the bureau to inform that I was not really dead. You know what? They didn't tell you, it's not my fault."

Sweets smiled slightly – happy to see this firsthand. "Dr. Brennan's actually upset because she had to face strong emotions that she'd rather deny. Striking Agent Booth, indicated the depth of your feelings for him. It was a very passionate act."

Booth didn't care who was there to hear this argument. To hell with anyone and everyone finding out about them. "Thank you!" He turned to Brennan as he told her, "Did you hear that? Passion!"

Brennan jabbed a finger in his chest as she yelled back, "Yes, passion, because anger is a passion! Anger at being manipulated!"

Zack came up to them and said, "Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan had just been about to rip one loss to Booth as she said, "Pretend to be dead…"

Booth for one waved his hand in the air in defeat. There was no getting through to the woman now. He would let her cool off before they talked again. "Aw forget it. I'm outta…"

Zack however stopped all conversation as he handed her a box wrapped in brown paper. "Someone left a package for you."

Booth had walked up behind her as she opened it to find a box and inside that box was a mandible and 2 silver screws. Booth said softly, "Oh."

Brennan looked at everyone and said, "It's a mandible."

Booth also noted, "Look at that, huh. Two silver screws."

Hodgins did not like where that was going. "Silver screws as in..."

Angela jumped in, "Silver skeleton?"

Hodgins couldn't believe it. "As in…"

Cam questioned in disbelief, "Gormogon?"

Brennan shook her head. "That's speculation."

Brennan started to examine the mandible. Zach observed, "Tooth marks."

Booth shook his head. "Someone's been snacking on that."

Cam looked between him and the mandible, "Snacking? As in cannibalism?"

Brennan was not going to jump to conclusions again. "Evidence of cannibalism does not necessarily mean…"

Booth told her gently," Bones, it's Gormogon. Has to be."

Cam seriously couldn't think this day could get any worse. "Oh, god. Who has he eaten this time?"

~BONES~

Booth was lounging in their tub, sipping beer from his beer helmet when Brennan stormed into the bathroom. "I need to talk to you!"

Booth almost dropped his graphic novel from the outburst. "What the hell, Bones! A little warning first!" Brennan walked over to the record player and turned it off.

Brennan finally looked at Booth and her heart broke. Seeing that bandage there on his chest brought back all those feelings, those nightmares. And then she saw what he was wearing. "Why are you wearing a hat that dispenses beer?

Booth tapped the hat lightly, "Hot tub, plus cold beer equals warm beer. Hat equals solution. So why are you…"

Brennan then pointed at the cigar. "And that cigar. Very unhealthy."

Booth sat up a little straighter. "Okay, what the hell do you want now, Bones? Okay? 'Cause I'm not really feeling too relaxed."

Brennan looked away from Booth as tears gathered in her eyes. "You should have told me that you weren't dead, Booth. I'm your wife."

Booth immediately felt sorry for how he was treating Brennan. His eyes softened when he said gently, "I already explained this to you, Bren. The bureau has to vet everyone when there is a security issue. I was just following protocol."

Brennan's eyes flashed with anger as her tears made it hard to see. "Protocol!"

Booth had just followed orders. "Yes!"

Brennan couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She let out a choked sob-laugh as tears started to roll down her cheeks. She turned her back toward Booth as she whispered, "We've been partners for three years, Booth, married for five and a half, and you've broken protocol before – sometimes putting my life in danger. Which makes sense because you clearly don't have any real concern for me."

Booth couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up and yelled, "I took a bullet for you!"

Brennan whipped around, tears still streaming down her cheeks, as she yelled back. "Once! That only goes so far!"

That's when Booth noticed the tears. He should have known what his death had done to her. He took off the helmet and stepped out of the tub and came up to his wife. "Bren, oh god, I'm sorry. I didn't think…"

Brennan buried her head in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but Booth's scent invaded her system and she just broke down in sobs. "I thought I lost you, Booth. Forever. I felt so empty, so lost. I hated that feeling. My heart ached, physically ached, after the doctor told me you died. A piece of me died when you did Seeley. I felt like I died with you. However irrational that sounds, it happened. I don't ever want to feel like that again."

Booth held onto his wife as she cried against his chest softly. "I'm so sorry Bren. I thought you knew, I told them to tell you, to make sure you knew. They told me you knew." He was rubbing small, soothing circles on her back as he started to place soft kisses on her face.

Brennan relished in the feel of Booth's lips against her skin. Just earlier that day, she thought she would never be able to feel such things like that. She needed more. So Brennan brought her hands to cup Booth's face and looked intently in his eyes.

Booth stopped breathing for a second when he saw all of Brennan's emotions swimming in her eyes. He saw it all. The pain, the sadness, the emptiness, the loneliness, and then he saw the pure ecstasy of him being alive there as well. Her brilliant blue eyes shined with tears and his heart broke for her.

Brennan looked into Booth's eyes and just stared for a few seconds. Those soft brown eyes were full of love and understanding. Those eyes were one of the things she missed the most. She always felt loved when she looked into her husband's eyes. Brennan decided that she couldn't wait any longer and leant in to kiss him on his lips. She just wanted to feel his lips against her own, to make this all real to her and not just a horribly wonderful dream-nightmare. Soon though, the kisses became more passionate. Brennan felt Booth leading her to their bed and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist so they could move faster toward their destination.

Booth knew what she needed now. She needed confirmation that he was there, he was alive. Booth held onto Brennan as he gently placed her on their bed, all the while still kissing her. He only stopped kissing her to get rid of her clothing, which he did with much care and attention. The look on Brennan's face was pure happiness and Booth couldn't wait any longer. He started to kiss his way up to her lips.

Brennan loved this. The feel of Booth's hands gliding over her skin, caring for her, loving her. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. She was with her thought-to-be dead husband in bed about to make love. This was a dream come true and she wasn't about to let herself wake up from it. However, as Booth started to kiss his way up her abdomen, Brennan looked at him and saw the bandage. She didn't want him to aggravate it anymore than he already did. So she said softly, as he kissed her along her jaw, "You shouldn't put strain on your wound Booth." She wrapped her legs around him and rolled them so that she was straddling him. She could feel his arousal against her own heat and she felt a jolt of electricity pass through her.

Booth looked up at his wife's face as she hovered over him. He just wanted to bury himself in her to the hilt, but he knew she needed to be the one to do it. So, he brought himself up to a semi-upright position and started to kiss her passionately again. While he was kissing her, Booth felt Brennan slowly come down on him, surrounding him with her core. He groaned in pleasure at the feeling of her against him, of him inside of her. Both of them began a sensual pace as Booth trailed kisses down to her breasts. "I love you, Bones. I'm not going anywhere." He didn't know what caused it, perhaps what he said or something she was thinking – but Brennan came down harder on him with each of her thrusts.

Brennan let her emotions take hold of her then. Booth had just told her that he wasn't going anywhere and she desperately wanted to hold onto that, even though she knew he couldn't possibly keep that promise. She started to cry silently at that thought. No matter what they did, their job was always risking their lives. She clung to him then, kissing the column of his neck, as she came down with as much force as she had. She would have him now, she would love him now. Whatever tomorrow brought at least she had him now.

Booth could feel her tears again against his skin as he heard her ragged breathing of pleasure mixed with sadness. Booth cupped her face and wiped away her tears, as they continued to move as one. He felt Brennan's hands go to the base of his skull, pulling him closer to her and he gave her what she needed. He kissed her passionately as he pushed his hips off the bed with a grunt of pleasure, bringing her over the edge. Booth felt her walls clench around his cock as Brennan came. Just the sight of her made him harden even more and he couldn't hold back anymore. He felt his hot seed spurt inside of her, spreading in her core. After they both gained normal breathing patterns Booth realized that she was laying on top of him.

Booth pushed aside some of her hair to reveal her beautiful face. He spoke softly as he said caressing her face, "What is it that I should have done, Bones? Wha…what did you want me to do Bren?"

Brennan looked up at him from where she lay completely spent. She whispered, "You could have called me. Did you really think I needed to be vetted by your boss? I mean, don't you trust me Booth?"

Booth spoke with conviction, "Of course I do, Bones. With my life."

Brennan didn't understand then. "Then why wasn't I told. It must have been something that you said."

Booth shook his head, "No. I told them to make sure you knew. You were at the top of the list. I don't know why you weren't told."

Brennan slid down to rest at his left side, resting her head on his shoulder. "But you, you said that I should be. I mean, aren't you curious why I wasn't?"

Booth squeezed her hip affectionately, "Yes, of course I am. Do you want me to find out why you weren't told?"

Brennan smiled softly, "If it's important to you."

Booth chuckled gently, "Fine. I will. And the next time I die, I promise that I will tell you."

Brennan didn't like the thought of him dying – even though she knew it was inevitable – but she found reassurance in the fact that at least she had Booth right then. "I'll look forward to that."

Booth kissed her head and murmured, "Me too, babe."

~BONES~

Booth picked up his ringing cell phone from the bathroom floor by his jeans. He heard Cam speak immediately. "I got our victims DNA results back."

Booth unplugged the tub as he asked, "Is it the Lobbyist?"

Cam told him, "Yup. Gormogon's last victim."

Booth nodded as he looked back to see his wife still asleep in the bed. "I was wondering when some part of him would show up."

Cam must have heard the draining tub because she asked him, "What's that sucking sound?"

Booth's anger had been boiling since he had learned that Brennan hadn't found out about him. And to see how much she had been hurt. He snapped at Cam, "You know what? This is MY house. Okay? You come into my house there's no telling what you're gonna hear." He was definitely going to find out why Bones wasn't told and he was going to hurt whoever hurt her so badly.

He heard the sheets rustle as he walked back out into their bedroom. Brennan was still asleep, but Booth could see that she was having a nightmare. No wonder she fell asleep so fast after they talked. She probably hadn't been getting enough sleep. Booth slipped back into bed with her and wrapped his arm around her waist as he stroked soothingly against her hip and whispered in her ear, "Shhh, it's alright Bones. I'm right here. I'm right here."

~BONES~

Booth, Brennan, and Sweets were in the Gormogon vault as Sweets told them, "You should place the jawbone in the skeleton."

Brennan had been looking at Booth lounging in a chair next to her. When they had woken up that morning, she had started to do the same routine, thinking that what she experienced yesterday had just been a dream. But then she felt Booth's arm wrap around her waist as she tried to get up. He murmured something against her skin, but she had just laid there letting his warmth invade her coldness. However, then she remembered how much she had been angry. They had talked about how to proceed with see who had decided not to tell her. It could be only a few people that the FBI would have asked to do such a job. They had also decided to wait to let everyone know about their marriage until after the case was finished. So Brennan looked at Sweets with a suspicious eye before she asked, "Why?"

Sweets told her, "'Cause it keeps alive an interactive relationship with the killer. That's why he provided the screws. You know, we give him something, he reciprocates." He then looked at the two of them and asked excitedly, "Did you see me on TV? No one has mentioned that I was on TV."

Booth shook his head as he said, "Alright, look. How would he know if we added the jawbone to the skeleton?"

Sweets explained, "Well, it's his obsession. He has some way of finding out, which is another reason to do it." However their lack of response to his other question was getting to him, "Okay. Both of you are purposely not mentioning my appearance."

Brennan decided that this was a perfect chance to see what Sweets would say to their planned out 'argument'. "Well, for all we know, Gormogon is dead and we're not on the list of people who get to find that out."

Brennan started to walk away from them. The two men followed her as Sweets observed, "There's a cry for attention."

Booth started to talk to Sweets to see his reaction. "Bones broke into my house last night, all angry…"

Brennan 'clarified' for Sweets, "There was a key!"

Booth continued, "…because no one told her that I was dead. And I was just following protocol."

Sweets responded just like they thought he would. "Broke into your house?"

Brennan told him again, "There was a key."

Booth also added, "And barged into my bathroom."

Sweets laughed at that. "What were you doing?"

Brennan started to walk up to the main level of the Jeffersonian as she told Sweets, "He was drinking beer and reading a comic book."

Booth huffed at that explanation. "I was taking a bath."

Sweets smiled at Booth. "You read comics and drink beer naked?"

Booth waved his hands in the air, frustrated that he was the one being judged now. "Wait a second. Bones bursts into MY bathroom, alright, and I'm weird for being naked?"

They walked out onto the main floor as Sweets asked him, "So you didn't tell her to leave? You just sat there, naked?"

Booth shot back," It was my own bathroom, okay? What do you wear in the tub? Floaties?" He was about to say something else, except there was a loud explosion in one of the rooms. Booth covered Brennan before he looked up and saw where it had come from. The squints experiment room. He broke out into a run with Brennan right behind him.

The first thing they saw was Hodgins lying on the ground. Brennan called out concerned, "Hodgins!"

Hodgins waved them away as he coughed out, "I'm alright. I'm alright. I'm okay."

Then they saw Zack and their stomachs turned at the sight. His hands were still through the Plexiglas and badly burned. He was breathing heavily as Booth tried to move the debris away from him. Brennan couldn't believe it. "Oh my god. Zack?"

Cam had run in behind them and now saw the whole seen. "Okay, a medical teams on its way." She then looked at Zack's hands. "Oh my - I'll get the burn kit."

Brennan knew that what she saw was bad but her brain wasn't working. "Is he okay?"

Booth had seen things like this before in the army. This wasn't good. He told Brennan honestly, "He's in shock, Bones. Look at his hands."

Brennan looked at him concerned, "Zack?" Everyone looked at Zack shock and worry etching their faces as Brennan whispered again, "Zack."

~BONES~

Booth couldn't believe it! He was mad, to say the least. He saw Sweets by Brennan's office and started to drag the boy there. Sweets asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Booth didn't even know what he was going to do about what this boy had done. "A word?"

Sweets pointed to his phone, "I'm on the phone."

Booth snapped at him, "Well, hang up!"

Sweets could hear the anger in Booth's voice and decided that it was best to listen to him. He spoke into his phone, "Okay, I'll talk to you later." He hung up the phone and then noted, "Ah, tight grip you got there…"

Booth squeezed a little bit harder as they walked in Brennan's office. "And it could get tighter." He then pushed Sweets a little toward Brennan, "So go ahead. Tell her."

Sweets looked at both of them confused, "Tell her what?"

Brennan looked up from what she was doing, surprised to see Booth and Sweets in front of her. "Tell me what?"

Booth knew it was the kid's fault. And now he wanted to punch something. He yelled at Sweets, "Tell her now."

Sweets shrank back a little and asked, "What?"

Booth glared at the kid and said tightly, "Fine. I'll tell her. Okay?" He turned to Brennan and told her their suspicions were right. "I sent my list to the bureau. They sent it to Sweets." Brennan looked at Sweets, still shocked that he would do that. For his part, Sweets did look like he was ashamed as Booth went on, "You were the one who decided not to tell Dr. Brennan that I was still alive. He's the one that you should have slugged, so do it. Go ahead and do it now." Booth wanted to see her slug him.

Brennan walked up to Sweets and said angrily, "What? You choose not to tell me?"

Sweets tried to placate her. "Yes, it's true. Technically."

Booth couldn't believe the guy! "Technically?"

Sweets could see that this was escalating into something very volatile and explained, "Okay, I reviewed the list and decided, knowing Dr. Brennan as I do, that she was in fact able to handle your death."

But that was the problem. Sweets didn't know Brennan at all. Booth whispered to her, "Slug him."

Sweets tried to stop any slugging. "It was a National Security issue. The fewer people that knew Agent Booth was alive, the safer he would be."

Brennan was quiet throughout the whole explanation. Because, see, she saw right through the boy. She knew exactly why he did what he did and she would have a talk with him later. However if she said as much in front of Booth, well, there was no telling what would happen then. Booth was naturally a very controlled man. But she had noticed that when it came to protecting her, he could lose common sense and just react. So she lied, "I think that was a good choice."

Sweets sighed in relief. "Awesome."

Booth looked at her in shock. Now that was just confusing. "You do?"

Brennan told Sweets exactly what he thought of her. Which was true…all except when it came to Booth. "Yes. You knew that Booth's death was something that I could deal with because I can compartmentalize."

Booth didn't get it. "Woah. Wait a minute. Now why are you mad at me then?"

Brennan told him honestly, "Because you should have told me, personally."

Booth listened to her as she said it so simply. As if that was the case! He had been surrounded by other agents all the time. There hadn't been a time he could have told her. "Oh, I should have just ignored National Security concerns, broken the law and told you."

Brennan nodded as she walked passed him. "Yes. You know I'm very trustworthy."

Booth couldn't believe the kid was getting off so easily. "Yeah, but Sweets..." He wanted to punch him, so badly.

Brennan looked at Booth as she said, "Sweets made a professional decision. He knew I could process your death and move on - which is precisely what I did." In front of everyone else, that is.

Sweets smiled as he nodded his head. "That's right."

Booth shook his head in aggravation. "There's gotta be other stuff going on here, right?"

Sweets didn't understand that question at all. "What?"

Booth didn't understand why the boy wasn't flat on his back right now. He turned to Sweets and told him, "Transference. Uh, paranoia. Come on! I mean, when I offer her a piece of pie you say it has deeper meaning."

Brennan looked up from her desk and said, yet again, "I don't like pie, Booth."

Booth clarified for Sweets, "Well, apple pie. She doesn't like baked pie."

Brennan told them, "I don't like my fruit cooked."

Sweets smiled as he told Booth, "Okay, changing the subject is a way to avoid your feelings."

Booth couldn't believe that Sweets was pointing at him again! "My feelings. Okay, now you're attacking my feelings?"

Cam came up to them as she leaned through Brennan's office doorway. "Hey. There's something in the Gormogon vault I think you should see."

Booth moved past Sweets but then whispered to Brennan, "Slug him."

Sweets loved what he was seeing. He told Brennan as he planted a seed, "You know, I think it's interesting, psychologically how Agent Booth's constant efforts to persuade you to enjoy fruit pie could be interpreted as a kind of seduction."

Booth turned around and told them, "Whatever you two are talking about? Just stop it. Zip it. Let's go."

~BONES~

They were walking down the stairs to the vault. Booth and Cam were ahead of Brennan and Sweets when she stopped him as Booth and Cam got out of earshot. She told Sweets angrily, "You think I don't recognize an experiment when I see one? You experimented on us."

Sweets stopped and looked at her like a trapped mouse. "Beg your pardon."

Brennan whispered back at him even more enraged, "Not telling me Booth was alive? You wanted to quantify our reactions for your own research? You took advantage of us. Booth and I agreed to let you observe us. We did not agree to be used as lab rats, so you better cut it out."

Sweets asked quietly, concerned by her actions, "Dr. Brennan, why are you talking so fast?"

Brennan poked him in the chest, "Because if Booth hears why you did what you did? He'd beat ya up." Or worse.

Sweets actually felt afraid for his life a little. "Don't you think that'd be an overly aggressive act?"

Brennan looked at him coldly as she shook her head. "Not at all. So you better not do it again." She had been through hell because of Sweets, she was surprised that she hadn't slugged him.

Brennan started to walk away from him as he blew out a breath of air. He was so in trouble.

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan were at the Royal Diner having coffee as she told him, "The Medico-Legal lab has over 100 employees."

Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, and all their records are being looked at - including yours and mine."

Brennan then noticed something. "What, you're just having coffee? Don't you want pie?"

Booth shook his head. "I'm fine."

She looked at him worriedly. "But you always have pie."

Booth didn't think he could ever look at pie the same way again with imagining something else. "Can we stop talking about pie?"

Brennan asked him, "Is it because of what Sweets said?"

Booth watched as Sweets walked over to them as he told her, "I'm just going pie-less. Okay?"

Sweets asked quietly, "Can we talk for a minute? I have a profile of someone I feel could be Gormogon." Sweets noticed to Booth's lack of pie. "No pie? You always eat pie."

Booth told him exasperatedly, "Enough with the pie, will you just sit down?"

Sweets sat down and placed his files on the table. Brennan reached for one and said indignantly, "Whoa! You've been spying on us? More experiments?"

Booth looked at them confused, "What experiments?"

Sweets hurriedly went on with his explanation, "I'm just being thorough. The dynamics of our work environment play a role in how I treat you and Agent Booth."

Booth didn't care about that. "Okay, Sweets. Will you just get on with it? Who is it?"

Sweets told them, "I believe it's Dr. Hodgins."

Brennan heard Booth whistle softly. She didn't get where Sweets was going with that information. "What is Dr. Hodgins?"

Booth knew how close Brennan and Hodgins had gotten after the Gravedigger case and his relationship with him to had grown since the subsequent revelation of their marriage. He whispered to her, "Gormogon. He thinks Hodgins is Gormogon."

Sweets could see that Brennan was about to protest against the idea and rushed in with his observations, "Hodgins exhibits clinical paranoia as well as a rationalized feeling of superiority."

Brennan knew Hodgins and he was not that. "Paranoia?"

Sweets nodded, "Yeah. He's consumed by numerous conspiracy theories. My observations today? He's even suspect of the FBI, with whom he works closely."

Brennan wasn't hearing any of that. "That's all supposition. There's not concrete evidence."

Booth didn't really believe what Sweets was saying but that didn't mean they couldn't hear the idea out. "No, no, no. Go on."

Brennan yelled indignantly, "Booth!"

Booth stated what could be a scenario. "What? Hodgins knew all about the secret societies. I mean, he figured out the patterns Gormogon used that led us to the vault."

Brennan defended Hodgins, "Yes. He was doing his job."

Sweets told her, "Or justifying himself. He had access to all the chemicals Zack was using. He could have changed the labels."

Booth thought about that though. Something didn't make sense. "He and Zack are friends..."

Brennan shot back at Sweets, "I also had access to the chemicals Zack made. Why am I not a suspect?"

Sweets told her honestly, "Well, you have a reverence for life that belies the cold, calculations of a killer. And the emotional connection you share with Agent Booth..."

Brennan was not about to hear the rest of that statement. "No. That..I," she started to get up in anger, "I don't have time for this. No."

Booth watched her leave as he said to Sweets tightly, "Don't you know by now you can't rush her?" Booth got up to follow her as Sweets called something out. But he wasn't paying any attention to him. He ran the rest of the way to his SUV, which she was waiting by. "Bones…"

She turned on him and asked with tears shining in her eyes, "Do you agree with him? Do you think Hodgins could do that?"

Booth slowly walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He squeezed them softly as he shook his head. "No, I don't Bones. He was…"

Brennan shook her head, cutting off his explanation. She didn't want to hear any defense for Sweets. "Good, let's go back to the lab and find out who Gormogon really is then." She turned around and opened the door, slid in and slammed it shut. Essentially stopping the conversation.

~BONES~

Brennan was in her office on her computer when Booth walked in. "Hey. I heard Zack was wrong about the dentures."

Brennan hated what she saw but it was the truth, "No."

Booth was confused by that. "What do you mean? Cam and Caroline said…"

Brennan sighed, "He knew they weren't artificial. Any first year student would know that. The dentures were made from real teeth. All canines."

Booth grimaced, "Ugh. Woah."

Brennan told him, "Canines are a symbol of the wolf which appears on the Gormogon tapestry in the vault. And certain ancient sects revere the wolf as a symbol of freedom. As a representative of the forces that will deliver us from persecution."

Booth knew she was stalling. "Okay, Bones. Enough about the wolf. What's going on?"

Brennan looked at him and said softly, "Zack lied."

Booth still wasn't following. "Why?"

Brennan explained, "He - he took the teeth from bone storage and he made Gormogon's dentures."

Booth could see it. Everything. "Zack has complete access to the lab. He arranged for the explosion himself."

Brennan hated it. "It's Zack. He's the killer, Booth. It's Zack."

~BONES~

Everyone was sitting around the table in the lounge at the Jeffersonian when Hodgins placed a box on it. Booth shook his head as he said, "Probably could have spent more time with Zack. You know, get him to see the world a bit more."

Hodgins looked down at the box and shook his head. "All those things I say about secret societies and conspiracies, I never knew he was listening."

Angela added, "I should have gotten him a girlfriend."

Cam, who had been leaning against a chair, exploded, "Ugh. You know what? The hell with Zack. He's an adult, he made his choices. People are who they are. There is nothing any of us could have done for the guy."

Brennan looked at her through sad eyes. "We love Zack, Cam."

Cam clenched her jaw and said angrily, "Yeah, well he killed someone. He deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life."

Sweets told everyone, "I feel I must point out that what Dr. Saroyan just said is obviously her way of handling grief. She doesn't mean it. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Cam shook her head as tears flooded her eyes, "I knew the day I met Zack, he'd cause me pain."

After a few moments of silence, Booth got up to try to break the silence by looking down at what Hodgins brought. "So, what do ya got there, Hodgins?"

Hodgins laughed a little. "This is, uh, Zack's favorite stuff."

Angela stood up too and looked at it. "Well, what are we gonna do with it."

Cam said through her tears, "Where he's going, they might actually let him have it."

Brennan was watching as items started to be pulled out, but something was obviously bothering her. Booth pulled out a harmonica then Cam pulled out a trophy that said, 'Zack Addy – King of the Lab'. She laughed a little. "Oh, I got him that."

Hodgins laughed too as he joked, "Yeah, thanks. He waved that in my face every day." He then grabbed a book out of the box. "Pocket Kama Sutra. I gave him this so he'd stop asking Booth sex questions."

Booth played a little bit of the harmonica before he told everyone. "Got Zack this before he went to Iraq."

Angela pulled a piece of paper out and smiled as she looked down the picture. "Hey, I drew this for him."

Booth pulled a letter out of the box as Sweets observed, "It's interesting that all of his favorite things are objects you people gave to him."

Brennan shook her head as she noted sadly, "I never gave him anything."

Angela told her softly, "Brennan, he totally loved you. I mean, as much as he was capable."

Brennan got up as she tried to control her emotions, "But I never gave him anything."

Brennan walked away and Angela started to go after her. However Booth knew what needed to be done after reading the letter in his hands. "Angela." Booth followed Brennan as she made her way toward her office. She stopped on the stairs though and sat down. She placed her head in her hands as Booth caught up with her. He sat down next to her and started reading the letter that he had in his hands. "'Dear Mr. Addy. It is my pleasure to offer you the post of my intern in Forensic Anthropology. I choose you from hundreds of applicants because of your knowledge, your desire to learn and because I feel you will find a home here.' I think you gave him something great, Bones."

Booth handed her the letter and she took it. She then placed her head on his shoulder as she sniffled slightly. Booth placed his head against hers as well. He started to rub soothing circles on the hand she rested on his thigh, when her shoulders started to shake a little from her crying. Booth immediately enveloped her in his arms as she cried silently. He rubbed small circles on her back as he whispered, "I know, Bones. I know." He felt her cling to him a little bit more before he whispered, "Let's go home." He felt her nod against his chest and then he stood up – bringing her with him – and guided them down the steps and out the door.

* * *

 **A/N2: And there it is. The end of another Book. *sniffs* Was it good, bad, meh? Tell me (nicely!) in a review. Was there not enough anger in Brennan? Because in all honesty, if I thought *my* husband was dead and then I found out he was alive, well sure I'd be angry for not being told, but my happiness at him still being alive would outshine all my other emotions.**

 **Oh and how about their marriage? Will they tell everyone else now since the threat to them has been eliminated? Or has it? (dun, DUN, DUUUNNN) Honestly people, did you think that I'd tell everyone this soon into the series ;)**


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